Banning Jamaat Will Shrink Space For Reconciliation: Mehbooba

Srinagar: Disapproving the imposition of ban on Jamat-e- Islami (JeI) by government of India, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has said that such a decision would further shrink the space for political rapprochement and reconciliation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing the meeting of senior party leaders here which was called to deliberate upon the latest developments being witnessed at present, Mehbooba said that the Government of India is taking “ostrich like approach towards Kashmir which is reeling under dreadful crisis.”

She added that Jamat-e- Islami has been credited for running schools and is a socio- religious organisation which is totally non- violent and the organisation has on many occasions publicly disapproved of violence as a method of political struggle.

“Banning this organisation will further shrink the space for politics and dialogue and it seems that government of India is now completely depending on force as a measure to subjugate the people of state,” Mehbooba said and cautioned that no muscular policy will work as it has never worked in the past and it will never work in future also.

The PDP president also termed the recent Union Cabinet decision a dangerous trend being set by the central government in Jammu and Kashmir and said PDP will now allow such “constitutional vandalism” to take place.

She said that her party is not against reservations in promotions as it was done by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 2004 -2005, but got held up in courts.

Mehbooba added that PDP doesn’t oppose the idea of reservation but the method the Governor administration has adopted is very dangerous and it is a clear subversion of letter and spirit of law.

“It is the President who is right now ruling the state and his own representative cannot take the role of the state cabinet in the matter of making constitutional changes. This is a fraud on the constitution and on the people of the state,” said Mehbooba.

She added that PDP will not allow this “constitutional vandalism” to deprive the state of the last remnants of autonomy and constitutional guarantees.

Mehbooba said that while the government of India should be working to empower the state more, it is taking away whatever is left with it.

“The BJP government at the centre has set the alarms for the entire country. It was the unfortunate incident of violence in Jammu and Kashmir which brought the sub-continent to the threshold of a destructive war. You are further pushing the people of Jammu and Kashmir into a corner while their constitutional rights are being trampled which is being guaranteed by the constitution of India. Government of India must put on hold any such plans that it might still be having,” said the PDP President.