Dissociate govt, BJP from Sayeed's comment, says Rajnath; Congress walks out of Lok Sabha

After a furore over newly appointed Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s comments over Pakistan, militants and separatists allowing polls to take place peacefully in 2014, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today dissociated the government and the BJP from the statements. However, it wasn’t enough for the Congress which staged a walk-out in the Lok Sabha over the issue. During Zero Hour, an angry Opposition also demanded a resolution to be adopted by the House condemning the statement of Sayeed at a press conference in Jammu yesterday, soon after he took oath of office and secrecy. The Home Minister responded with a statement in which he dissociated the government and party from the PDP chief’s comment. [caption id=“attachment_2130947” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Rajnath Singh in a file photo. PTI image[/caption] “Our government and the BJP fully dissociates itself from the the statement of J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed crediting Pakistan, Hurriyat for smooth conduct of assembly polls,” Singh told the Lok Sabha today. When the opposition demanded a statement from the PM, Singh said that he had consulted Modi before making the statement in Parliament. Despite the furore over Sayeed’s statement, the BJP had refrained from making any statement against its new political ally in the state with whom it has formed the government for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Home Minister’s statement was challenged by the Congress with its leader in the House, Mallikarjuna Kharge, alleging that Sayeed’s statement indicated some secret talks between the government and Pakistan. “There have been no secret talks with anyone to allow polls in Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh said in response. The Home Minister also said that he would like to congratulate the Election Commission, armed forces, paramilitary forces and the people of the state for conducting peaceful polls that saw the highest turnout of voters. He also clarified that Sayeed had not spoken about his statement on Pakistan with the Prime Minister at any point. The Congress wasn’t satisfied with the Home Minister’s explanation and demanded that Parliament should pass a resolution against Mufti’s statement since it wasn’t in national interest to let such statements pass. The party also sought a statement from the Prime Minister on the matter and when refused, staged a walk out from the Lok Sabha in protest. In the Rajya Sabha the Congress came down harder on the BJP. “The chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir was sworn in yesterday in the presence of prime minister (Narendra Modi), L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and BJP president Amit Shah… A press conference was held soon after in which the chief minister made a statement which was most controversial and hurt the nation,” Congress leader Shantaram Naik said, raising the issue in the house. “He said elections were peaceful because of the forces ‘us paar’ (on the other side). He indicated Pakistan. Then (he said) because of millitants and because of Hurriyat… He gave credit to these three for peaceful elections in Jammu and Kashmir,” Naik said. Opposition members were heard chanting “shame shame” as the Congress member said this. Naik also targeted the state government and said: “One of the ministers, his brother is in Hurriyat, no problem… his wife is Pakistani, still I don’t know how they are going to tackle this issue.” “During election campaign, Modi very clearly said 370 par kam se kam charcha to karo (atleast discuss article 370),” Naik said, asking government for an explanation. He was joined by Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader KC Tyagi who said BJP has murdered the ideology of Syama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of BJP’s predecessor Bharatiya Jana Sangh. “The prime minister was there in the oath taking ceremony. Mufti sahab was taking oath. At that time there were two flags on the dais, one of Jammu and Kashmir and one of India,” said Tyagi. “Mukherjee sahab was martyred against this, and yesterday they murdered his ideology,” the JD-U leader said. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi tried to salvage the situation, saying the credit for peaceful election goes to the people of the state more than anyone else. “All I have to say is that people of Jammu, Kashmir, Leh and Kargil have shown their respect for democracy and the way they participated in Lok Sabha and assembly elections, we salute them,” Naqvi said. “If credit goes to someone, it goes to the people first and election commission and the local and central security forces which helped in free and fair election,” he said. With inputs from agencies