Omar Abdullah calls Mehbooba Mufti desperate for attacking BJP, says militancy reborn under PDP rule

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday called Mehbooba Mufti “desperate” for threatening the BJP-led Central government with militancy if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) breaks up. Abdullah said that it would not matter to Kashmiris if the PDP does break up. In her first public appearance after resigning as Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, earlier today, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had said that any attempt by the Centre to “engineer” a split in her party will have “extremely dangerous” consequences. Speaking to reporters, Mufti said that trying to divide people and interfering in Jammu and Kashmir will give birth to more separatist leaders. Mufti reminded them of the events post the 1987 Assembly elections, and how it had “created” Syed Salahuddin, the supremo of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen, and Mohammad Yasin Malik, the pro-Independence JKLF chief. In response, Abdullah took a jibe at the former chief minister saying militancy was reborn under her “most able” administration.

She must really be desperate if she is threatening the centre with renewed militancy if PDP breaks up. She seems to have forgotten that militancy in Kashmir has already been reborn under her most able administration. https://t.co/aEmQXe0YaL

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 13, 2018

Mehbooba was talking to reporters at the Martyrs’ Graveyard at Naqshband Sahib after paying tributes to those killed in firing by soldiers of Dogra Maharaja Hari Singh on this day in 1931 during protests against his autocratic rule. She said, “My party is strong, there are differences which can be resolved. However, if there are any attempts to engineer a split in the PDP like it was done in 1987 to commit robbery on people’s vote and to crush the MUF (Muslim United Front), the results will be extremely dangerous.” After BJP pulled its support to the alliance government, several PDP legislators raised a banner of revolt against Mehbooba’s leadership and accused her of nepotism and favouritism during her tenure as chief minister. PDP members also rebelled against her “dynastic rule” and are  attempting to form a third front  with a National Conference-Congress combine or even with the Bharatiya Janata Party. On 19 June, the  BJP pulled out of the alliance with PDP , putting the state under Governor’s Rule. Pulling the plug, BJP party general secretary Ram Madhav announced at a press conference that “it has become untenable for the BJP to continue in the alliance government in the state”. With inputs from PTI