Mehbooba, Mir, Masoodi file papers
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 3: People’s Democratic Party president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that Karan Singh’s father Maharaja Hari Singh had himself laid the foundation of Article 370.
“His father, Maharaja Hari Singh, set the conditions for Article 370 which was endorsed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. This type of comment is intolerable. Today he is singing a different tune,” she said in response to the Congress leader’s statement that it was Centre which had given the State its special status.
She also condemned BJP leader Amit Shah’s statement that Article 370 will be removed by 2020. “2020 will then also be J&K’s deadline to the country. That will also be the deadline of Kashmir’s separation from the rest of India, ” she said.
Mehbooba said AFSPA revocation and other pledges in Congress manifesto related to Jammu and Kashmir were same as PDP-BJP agenda of alliance.
She praised Congress manifesto for their position on Article 370 and AFSPA. “One of the good thing in their manifesto is that they have maintained the status quo with regard to Article 370. We always wanted dialogue and Congress has also endorsed it. They have also batted for revocation of AFSPA, we also believe in that. The issues which were part of PDP- BJP agenda are part of their manesfesto, which is good”, she said.
While highlighting the achievements of her Government on implementation of agenda of alliance, she said: “Several initiatives were taken. The Home Minister made several offers for talks, Dineswar Sharma was appointed, Prime Minster went to Pakistan. A Parliamentary delegation knocked at the doors of Hurriyat leader but they did not open the doors. What can I do if they didn’t open doors? One month ceasefire was announced but militants acted against it. What can we do”, she asked.
The PDP president said that her aim is to bring the State out of cycle of violence and bloodshed. “I am fighting these elections to realise the dream of my father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to resolve the Kashmir issue and stop the bloodshed. He has given us a roadmap to take the State out of this cycle of violence and bloodshed. My aim would be to same”, she said.
Ten candidates Mehbooba Mufti, GA Mir of Congress, Husnain Masoodi of NC, Zafar Chowdhari of JKPC, Mirza Sajad Hussain Baig of JDU, Sanjay Kumar Dhar of Manav Adhikar Party and four independent candidates- Shamus Khawaja, Imtiyaz Ahmad Rather, Gh Mohammad Wani and Riyaz Ahmad Bhat today filed their nomination papers from Anantnag Parliamentary constituency.
Earlier six candidates had filed their nominations. Mehbooba Mufti was accompanied by her senior party colleagues including Abdul Rehman Veeri, Rafi Ahmad Mir and Sartaj Madni while Hasnain Masoodi was joined by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and G A Mir by senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
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