Reports of JeI’s willingness to contest polls welcome step: Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar, July 27: PDP President Mehbooba Mufti today said that the reports of banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) willing to contest the assembly polls is a welcome step.
She was addressing a PDP rally on the 25th Foundation Day here. “It is good that JeI is showing willingness to join the electoral fray. In past they have contested the polls and they will again do so and rejoin the national mainstream,” Mehbooba said. The PDP President said that all parties would fight for the rights under a democratic set-up against the BJP.
The DPP President alleged that in past she was being accused by BJP of supporting JeI while in power.
She alleged that BJP banned JeI which was running schools. Mehbooba claimed that as chief minister she was asked by the BJP to ban JeI but she refused. “ I sacrificed power and see what you are doing today. You are desperately trying to get JeI to contest elections,” PDP President said.
Mehbooba said that a disinformation campaign was launched that PDP has been finished. “ The parties, who were claiming so were defeated by the people. They do not exist anywhere today. The sea of PDP cadres today at this venue is a proof that PDP is alive and very much strong,”he added.
The PDP President accused the BJP government of not fighting militancy but trying to weaken regional parties and local institutions. “Foreign terrorist are infiltrating into Jammu and killing our innocent civilians and our security personnel. But BJP is infiltrating our homes and institutions to weaken those,”she said.
Mehbooba stated that PDP did not join hands with BJP in 2014 but central government leadership to bring out people of Jammu and Kashmir from pain. “We expected the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow the footsteps of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But he did not. Modi Ji did want he wanted but he did not what people of J&K wanted and what was in the better interests of our country,”she said.
Mehbooba appealed the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take steps forming a joint committee of the people’s representatives from both sides of Jammu and Kashmir to discuss the issues which the masses of the region face.