Delhi Using NIA To Break PDP: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar: Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti Friday said New Delhi was threatening her Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislators saying the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would start investigations against them if they do not break away from the party.

In an interview to ETV Urdu, the PDP President said, “There are few legislators who have come to me about this NIA thing. I don’t want to name them here. They told me that when New Delhi failed to lure us by money and ministership, then they said ok we have NIA.”

A few members of the Mehbooba’s PDP led by senior minister and influential Shia cleric Imran Raza Ansari have broken away from PDP and there are reports that after the Amarnath yatra, BJP would lure them and others in the party to form a government on its own with their support.

Earlier, Mehbooba had said if New Delhi tries to break PDP, more (Syed) Salahuddins, the United Jehad Council (UJC) chief and more Yasin Maliks, the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief would be born again.

“See, to become a chief minister is not only our family right. Anyone can become chief minister but PDP is an idea which we have brought up after much difficulties. PDP has its own agenda and if BJP feels that PDP is not able to walk with the agenda, they are trying to create a perception that after August 15, they are going to form the government,” Mehbooba said.

The PDP chief said, “How are they going to form the government? They can, only if, they will break the PDP. It means of you are going to break the PDP, you will be repeating the events of 1987, 1984 and 1953.”

Referring to the meeting between the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, she said Vajpayee announced from the Red Fort that free and fair elections would be held in Jammu Kashmir.

“And if 20 percent came out to vote in the 2002 elections, then its became 40 percent and then 60 to 70 percent. So, people are coming out to vote instead of gun and other problems in Kashmir. Now if you are going to break the PDP and make some arrangements here and there to form the government for one-and-a-half-year, how will you answer that voter who has voted for the agenda of PDP, who under the shade of gun votes for NC, PDP or the Congress. Then you are completely eroding his faith,” she said.

“I don’t have a problem who does what if the perception they are creating that if any of the MLAs is not lured by money or ministership then they involve them with NIA. You must also understand that separatists, militants and the mainstream are living together in Kashmir, they are related to each other and are friends with each other as well and when you get NIA in between it is sad.” (RK)