‘BJP should be thankful to Sheikh family’: Mehbooba Mufti’s reply to PM Modi’s comments in Srinagar

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be thankful to the Sheikh family (Abdullahs), which played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India.

The former chief minister’s remarks followed PM Narendra Modi’s accusations on Thursday, in which he criticised the Congress, National Conference (NC), and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for jeopardising the future of the region’s youth for political gain.

“Modi ji should be grateful to the Sheikh family (the Abdullahs), especially Sheikh Abdullah, whose efforts made the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the country possible,” said Mehbooba Mufti.

She said the BJP should also be thankful to Omar Abdullah for implementing the party’s agenda in the former state.

“When Omar Abdullah was a minister in the Vajpayee government, he was often taken around the world to say that Jammu and Kashmir is not a political issue, but rather a matter of terrorism that should be resolved by attacking Pakistan,” Mehbooba added.

Referring to her party, the PDP chief said that the BJP repeatedly knocked on their doors for three months to form a government, agreeing to all their terms and conditions.

“And we placed conditions that there should be no tampering with Article 370, AFSPA should be revoked, and there should be dialogue with Pakistan,” said Mehbooba.

The party also made it clear to the BJP that it should engage in dialogue with the Hurriyat in Kashmir, for which a delegation was sent from New Delhi, she added.

“They (BJP) came to our doorstep themselves. The BJP made Omar Abdullah a minister to use him for their own purposes. The party initiated the approach. Then why the change in stance?” questioned the former chief minister.

In 2015 , the two-month-long negotiations over formation of a coalition government of PDP-BJP had culminated with the swearing-in ceremony of Mufti Sayeed, who took oath as part of a 25-member cabinet. (HT)