Mehbooba attacks critics for aligning with BJP

Excelsior Correspondent

ANANTNAG, May 5: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, today praised late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah for Jammu and Kashmir’s accession with India and said that accession was not with a particular party but everybody including Congress, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Communists and Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS).
While addressing a gathering at Anantnag Railway Station during the flagging off of four new trains in Kashmir valley, the Chief Minister said that as there is bloodshed in entire Muslim world these days and the decision taken by the Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah about accession with India in 1947 was right. “…the decision taken by late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1947, for preserving the unique identity of this place, to accede Jammu and Kashmir with a country where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians are living together, where there is Kingdom but democracy, was right”, she said.
Attacking her critics, particularly National Conference, for joining hands with BJP, Mehbooba said that when J&K acceded to India in 1947, it acceded to everybody and not to a particular political party. “They are saying BJP, BJP. When Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India in 1947, it didn’t accede to any particular party. It acceded to everybody, which includes Congress, the BJP, the Communists and the RSS”, she said.
The Chief Minister said that real issue is to protect the distinct identity of the State which can be achieved either by fighting with the Centre or befriending it. “The real issue is how to protect our distinct identity – there are two ways one by fighting for it and another by befriending them. We have to safeguard those things given to us by God and Indian Constitution. I told a major conference in Delhi that we will protect Article 370 at all costs because when we take oath of office we swear by the Constitution of which this is a part. We are committed on that”, she said.
Mehbooba said that she was unwilling to take over as the Chief Minister of the State but her father’s quest for working for the betterment of the people even on death bed changed her thought process.  ”When my father was admitted to the hospital and he was seriously ill for four days to the extent that nobody was being permitted in, then there was some relief. When a team of doctors visited him, he was angry. He told them, you (doctors) are unnecessarily keeping me here. He told them that he want to leave next day as he had many things to do. Those words are still resonating in my mind and that was the main factor of me agreeing to become Chief Minister and before that I was not willing to get into this”, she said.
Mehbooba said her father was convinced as early as 1960 when he returned from AMU that Ganga-Jamuna culture suits Kashmir. “In this country, Muslims chisel the Hindu Gods and more Hindus go to Ajmer than Muslims,” she said. “He (Mufti) never changed that belief and lived it”, he added.
The Chief Minister promised to safeguard the honour and dignity of people of the State. She said it is time for the good things happening in the country to find their way into the State. She, however, regretted that for all these years everything bad that existed in India was sent here like rigging in elections, gun and the crackdown. “Let us get all the best things that exist in India to Kashmir because these good things were never permitted to get here,” she said.
Mehbooba said that she has set many goals and is extremely confident of achieving them with the able support of the Centre and the people of the State. “I am sure the alliance government in the State will work towards healing the wounds of the people who have suffered enormous difficulties and hardships for more than two decades now,” she added.
Drawing the attention of the people towards the grave threat posed by terror across the globe, the Chief Minister praised India’s pluralism that has bestowed upon its people, including Muslims, respect and honour all over the globe. She, however, rued the prevailing gun culture propagated by a miniscule section, which has maligned the image of the great religion of Islam and wreaked havoc on Muslim nations, right from Iraq, Syria, Libya to Pakistan. “Such is the level of human tragedy that Syrian children are forced to eat paper to survive.” she said, while describing the youth of J&K as her first and prime responsibility.
Referring to her recent meetings with the RBI Governor and several foreign delegations over the last few days, Mehbooba Mufti said she will open up new opportunities of employment for the hugely talented youth of the state. She also admired their exuberance and courage for having survived the persistent onslaught of violence.
“We will soon unveil several exchange and assistance programmes for importation of knowledge and expertise so that our youth get tangibly benefitted. The RBI Governor has also assured me of giving first preference to the youth of J&K in jobs in the State’s banking sector,” she said.

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