Masarat Alam's release: Congress delighted as Mufti undercuts Modi in J&K

The BJP’s alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is proving to be a bigger embarrassment than the party could have ever imagined. For them, their old friend Mufti comes as a surprise package. This has helped the Congress in cornering the government over many issues. Virtually without a leader now, the Grand Old Party would be drawing satisfaction from the fact that it’s a former Congressman who has put the BJP on the defensive. The current chief minister was a Congressman before he formed his own outfit, PDP, to fulfill the aspirations of the people in the Valley in 1999. What Mufti has managed to do so far, none in the Congress have got even close to: get on the wrong side of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and make his party do nothing more than squirm and watch. Just after being sworn in as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 1 March, Mufti gave credit to separatists and Pakistan for smooth conduct of assembly elections. The Opposition was up in arms and Modi had to brave the Opposition by resorting to be defensive. “I want to assure this House and 125 crore people of the country that the government formed in Jammu and Kashmir based on the Common Minimum Programme and the government will run on its basis,” Modi clarified in Parliament. [caption id=“attachment_2131731” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Jammu and Kashmir CM Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. AFP[/caption] This comes after it took many months for the largest party in Kashmir (PDP) and the largest party in Jammu (BJP) to break the political deadlock in the state after a hung verdict in the 2014 December assembly elections. Both sides were unwilling to budge and find common ground on contentious but core issues like Article 370 and AFSPA. When the deal was finally announced late last month, it appeared that a clear formula had been worked upon between the two sides. But Mufti queered the pitch within hours of taking oath. “He is not going to stop making or doing such controversial things because he will be politically finished if he tows the BJP line,” says a senior Congress leader. “If the BJP has taken him at face value, then they have done so at their own peril,” he confides. By releasing separatist leader Masarat Alam who has been in jail for over four years for his alleged role in the infamous 2010 stone pelting agitation amongst others, he has again taken on the ruling establishment in Delhi. Even before this, Mufti Sayeed had asked the Centre to hand over mortal remains of Afzal Guru who was hanged in jail for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack. A visibly upset Modi could again be seen on the defensive on Masrat’s release in Parliament on Monday, while BJP MLAs rushed to J&K CM’s house to voice their concern over the issue. Nothing could be more pleasing to Congress’ ears as the newly appointed Congress media chief could only chuckle in glee. “I appeal to PM to not shed crocodile tears and rather forms concrete policy against anti-national elements,” said Randeep Surjewala. “What is BJP’s policy on dialogue with separatists and citizenship rights to refugees from Pakistan?” as the questioning refuses to end. While Modi was more relieved than happy over working out a deal with the PDP, the lack of trust between the two sides is evident. Both Mufti and Modi have their own vote banks to worry about, and it seems Mufti is in a hurry to dispel the rumour that PDP has compromised on “Kashmiriyat”. The Opposition for once seems united in slamming the NDA for supporting a party with open sympathy towards separatists in the valley. Modi will have to pull out a few more stops to steady this rocky coalition, or else the enigma around Modi’s political invincibility will suffer another dent. The Congress is more than happy to watch the show and enjoy his suffering.