Kashmir is a place where separatism, mainstream politics and militancy often co-exist, but the threat of NIA was introducing an element of doubt in the Valley which would threaten its fabric greatly.
SRINAGAR Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has claimed that her legislators are being coerced to leave the party with threats of NIA raids.
Speaking to a TV channel, Mehbooba said some of her party legislators have told her that the Centre lured them with money and ministerial berths, and after they rejected it, they were being threatened with NIA investigations.
“I’m not saying that New Delhi is doing it but I did talk to some people in New Delhi and told them that a perception is being created through media reports that MLAs can be bought with money or be motivated to leave PDP for important cabinet portfolios, and if they’re rejecting even this, they’re being threatened with NIA raids,” Mehbooba Mufti was quoted as having said by News18.
Mehbooba, according to the report said that NIA element was creating an element of doubt in the Kashmir valley that has a tendency of threatening its fabric.
Kashmir is a place where separatism, mainstream politics and militancy often co-exist, but the threat of NIA was introducing an element of doubt in the valley which would threaten its fabric greatly, she said, according to the report.
On her earlier statement that more Salahuddins would be born if Delhi split her party, she said: If you break PDP, how will you face the person who braved bullets and other threats to vote for National Conference or PDP or Congress? You’ll break their faith in democracy.
She claimed such attempts would re-create 1984-like situation when the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was dismissed to make way for his estranged brother-in-law Ghulam Mohammad Shah
Mehbooba said the BJP can form a government in Jammu and Kashmir only after breaking the PDP.
She said if the Centre makes any attempts to break the PDP, it will re-create situation like in 1953, referring to the arrest of then prime minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and the unrest which followed it.
The 87-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was put under suspended animation after the BJP pulled out of the alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.
The PDP is the single-largest party with 28 MLAs, followed by the BJP which has 25 MLAs. National Conference and Congress have 15 and 12 MLAs each. Sajad Gani Lones Peoples Conference has two MLAs and the remaining are independents. The BJP needs the support of 16 members to form the government.
Soon after the break-up of the coalition government, crises engulfed the PDP as a revolt against Mehboobas leadership and her party was led by Shia leader Imran Raza Ansari.
Ansari said Mehbooba turned the party into family fiefdom accommodating her brother, her uncle, nieces and others during her tenure as the Chief Minister.
He said he had warned Mehbooba of simmering discontent when he was the Technical Education Minister in her government.
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