- Karnataka has shown ray of hope by defeating fascist, communal and divisive BJP: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti
NEW DELHI, May 21: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that she won’t contest Assembly elections until Article 370 is restored in J&K. She stated, “I don’t see Assembly elections being held in the near future.”
While interacting with the media, Mufti further stated that the G-20 is an event for the country but the BJP has “hijacked it.” She also accused BJP of replacing the G20 logo with that of a lotus, stating that “the logo should have been something related to the country, not a party.”
She went on to say that instead of G20, holding the SAARC summit would be more appropriate to establish India’s leadership in the region.
Amid strain in ties India-Pakistan ties, the biennial SAARC summits have not taken place since the 2014 meeting in Kathmandu.
“G20 is an event for the country but BJP has hijacked it, they have even replaced the logo with Lotus, the logo should have been something related to the country, not a party…it is the SAARC that will establish the leadership of our country within this region…why not have a SAARC summit and address our problem…,” she told media on the preparations for the G-20 grouping meeting on tourism in Srinagar from May 22 to 24.
Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti hailed the people of Karnataka for giving a ray of hope to the entire country by defeating a “fascist, communal and divisive” BJP in the recently-concluded Assembly election.
She, however, cautioned people against the developments that happened in Delhi, saying that it was a wake-up call for everyone as it can happen anywhere in the country.
Mufti was referring to an ordinance passed by the President on Friday, May 20, giving overriding powers to the Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor — a union government nominee — to oversee the transfer, posting and disciplinary proceedings against civil servants in Delhi.
The ordinance was brought in just a week after a Supreme Court Constitution Bench had ruled that powers over the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in the national capital lay with the Delhi government and not the Central government. The apex court had made it clear that the Central government cannot take over governance of elected state governments.
“Karnataka has given a ray of hope to the entire country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and everyone in the BJP were using religion in the Karnataka elections but still people voted them out,” she said in a press conference here.
According to her, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had laid the foundation for Congress’ victory in Karnataka Assembly election.
“Last five years were hit by hatred and communal politics. Divisive politics was played here also in Karnataka. Now Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar will heal the wounds,” the PDP chief said. (Agencies)
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