Fiddling with nature contributes to landslides: Mehbooba

Jammu, Apr 21: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Monday stated that fiddling with nature, mountains could be a contributing factor behind Ramban devastation.

“Ramban has recently witnessed large scale devastation causing loss of lives, property. To me, one of the reasons behind this natural calamity is reckless digging, blasting of mountains; indiscriminate cutting of forests; activities leading to ecological imbalances – to be precise – if you fiddle with nature, it retaliates in its own ways. It leads to landslides, flash floods etc. We have seen loss of lives and the people losing their houses, agricultural lands and other properties. We want the government to immediately provide relief to the people and compensate for their losses,” she said.

PDP president, while addressing a press conference at the party office, sought immediate measures to address the grievances of stranded people on the highway due to Ramban devastation.

She also sought immediate relief for those associated with the horticulture sector in Kashmir for the damages incurred on account of recent incessant rains and hailstorm.

With regard to statehood, she said that it was BJP's narrative which was being followed by the National Conference, which was ducking the real issue of Article 370.

“National Conference is following the narrative of the BJP. It has been committed by the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. What has not been committed is - Article 370. We had thought that NC with 50 MLAs would talk about it. But they (NC leadership) don't want to mention it at all. This is a matter of concern for us,” Mehbooba said.

“They accused us of bringing BJP to J&K but we did not allow them to touch Article 370. Had I done that I would have survived as the Chief Minister. But for us, J&K’s dignity, Article 370 was important. Ironically, NC and its leadership don’t want to talk about that. They are playing deceptive politics, trying to befool people,” she alleged.

Hitting back at the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stating former RAW chief's “statement about Dr Farooq Abdullah vis-a-vis Article 370 abrogation” was a very serious issue while his (Dulat's) remarks about her father were about certain smaller issues.

Mehbooba said, “A S Dulat's remarks that Dr Farooq Abdullah was disturbed about the BJP not taking him into confidence before abrogating Article 370 and he (Farooq) said he would have helped them (BJP) for achieving this objective through J&K Legislative Assembly - are very serious in nature.”

“Dulat, as everyone knows, is very close to Farooq Sahib. He has not made such remarks to harm the interests of Farooq Sahib. He has stated so to bridge the gap between BJP and him (Farooq). He (Dulat) wants to bring them closer. But as far as Omar Sahib's remarks about Mufti (Muhammad Sayeed) Sahib as mentioned in Dulat's earlier book are concerned, they are very small issues - not as significant as Farooq's statement about Article 370,” she said.

She said that on this issue, Farooq and the National Conference should give an explanation to the people of J&K. “They should clear the air as to what he and Omar were doing with the Prime Minister on August 3, 2019,” PDP president said.

Mehbooba on this account also invoked late BJP leader Devender Singh Rana recalling his revelations about the NC leadership’s meeting with the BJP’s central leadership in an effort to form a coalition government in 2016.

She expressed dismay that her party MLAs bills pertaining to daily wagers’ regularization and against illegal mining were not taken up during the recent budget session. “Our party MLAs had also submitted a bill demanding that the people living on state land for a long time should not be touched. It too could not be taken up due to the ruling party’s diversionary tactics,” she said.