This Article is From Jun 24, 2018

On BJP Accusations After Split, Mehbooba Mufti's Pointed Rebuttal

Mehbooba Mufti pointed out that the BJP had its own ministers in Hindu-majority Jammu and should review their performance.

On BJP Accusations After Split, Mehbooba Mufti's Pointed Rebuttal

Mehbooba Mufti said the BJP had "disowned" its own initiative -- the Agenda of Alliance.

Highlights

  • BJP "disowned" own initiative - the agenda of alliance: Mehbooba Mufti
  • BJP's Ram Madhav accused Ms Mufti's PDP of failing on several fronts
  • Ms Mufti took a dig at the BJP concerns about free speech
New Delhi: Mehbooba Mufti -- who stepped down as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir last week -- gave a point-by-point rebuttal to the BJP allegations on Sunday. Accusing the former ally of making "false charges", Ms Mufti hit out with another set of accusations -- one even against BJP's Lal Singh, her former minister who has told the state's journalists to "draw a line" citing the murder of Shujaat Bukhari.

In a series of tweets that largely answered senior BJP leader Ram Madhav's allegations, Ms Mufti said the BJP had "disowned" its own initiative -- the Agenda of Alliance.

"Our commitment to the Agenda of Alliance, co-authored by Ram Madhav & endorsed by senior leaders like Rajnath Ji never wavered. It is sad to see them disown their own initiative & label it a 'soft approach'," read her first tweet.
 
About the BJP's accusation of discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh, she pointed out that the BJP had its own ministers in Hindu-majority Jammu and should review their performance.

On Tuesday, announcing the end of the alliance, Ram Madhav had obliquely accused Ms Mufti's People's Democratic Party or the PDP of failing on several fronts - including governance, control of terror and discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh.

In Jammu yesterday, BJP chief Amit Shah had also said the party's decision to pull out from the state government was taken in view of the deteriorating law-and-order situation and failure of the state government to ensure an equitable development, especially of the Jammu and Ladakh regions.

"Terrorism, violence and radicalisation have risen and fundamental rights of the citizens and free speech are in danger in the Valley," he had said. To solve the situation, he said, the party decided it was time that "the reins of power in the state be handed over to Governor".

Ms Mufti took a dig at the BJP concerns about free speech. One of her tweets read: "After expressing concern about freedom of expression in J&K following Shujaat's murder, their MLA, notorious & even punished for his role in the aftermath of the unfortunate Kathua case still threatens journalists belonging to the valley, so what are they going to do about him?"

"Every political party has a right to state its opinion when it comes to national security, our sovereignty and issues that matter to the people of India," senior BJP leader Nalin Kohli said.

The BJP-PDP alliance, which had been shaky from the start, broke down altogether after the government decided to resume anti-terror cordon and search operations in the state after Ramzan's month-long ceasefire.

The state's former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, however, called it a "fixed match" and said the two parties of "scripted it to perfection" after taking cue from Bollywood movies.
.