In a major setback for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), three of its top leaders, including a former congresswoman, announced their resignation from the party on Monday, days after its president Mehbooba Mufti fueled a controversy with her comments on the national flag.
In a joint letter to Mehbooba, former MP TS Bajwa, Ved Mahajan and Hussain Ali Waffa said: “We feel uncomfortable and suffocated, forcing us to make the difficult decision to leave the party.” Waffa, is a former PDP secretary of state and Mahajan a former MLC.
In her first press conference after more than 14 months in detention, former PDP Chief and Supreme Minister Mehbooba said on Friday that she was not interested in participating in elections or celebrating the tricolor until constitutional changes implemented on Friday. August 5 of last year were revoked.
The PPD leader had also said that she would uphold the tricolor only when the separate flag of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir was restored. On August 5 last year, the Center had repealed the special status of the former state and forked it into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The trio in their two-page letter said: “We, your colleagues from the party in the Jammu region, most of whom have remained associated with the party through thick and thin, since its formation, we feel quite uncomfortable. for some of his undesirable actions and statements, especially what hurt patriotic sentiments. “
The founder of the PDP, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had broader goals behind the formation of the party, which included creating a viable political alternative in Jammu and Kashmir to represent the regional aspirations of the people, the letter said.
Forming the PDP also aimed to channel dissent, especially among young people, and prevent them from falling into the trap of anti-India elements in the absence of a credible platform to represent their genuine sentiments, in addition to secularism and the broader interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the interest of the nation, he said. These were the underlying principles behind the formation of the PDP, the letter said.
“The party received an overwhelming response to these initiatives and could emerge as a significant political force to achieve power in a very short period of time and formed the government in coalition with Congress, which performed very well and fulfilled in accordance with the established objectives. , achieving a lot in the direction of restoring peace, harmony and ensuring equitable development of the different regions, “he said.
Referring to the last PDP-BJP government, which collapsed after the saffron party withdrew in 2018, leaders said that the party under the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed made the difficult decision to join the ideologically opposed BJP, but the experiment it didn’t work. on the expected lines.
Sayeed’s sudden death derailed the entire process and subsequent developments are a story and another phase of the struggle, and the test of leadership began after the development on August 5 last year when the Center repealed the special status and forked the former state in two union territories, ”they said in their letter.
“Despite various developments and undesirable steps, we stood like a rock with the party and the leadership despite serious reservations about the party’s handling and response to the challenges of the situation in front of the party,” said the leaders.
Rather than overcoming internal and external challenges through a process of broader consultation and trust, “some elements within the party began to lead the party and the leadership in a particular direction, thus deviating from the basic principles, agenda and philosophy. , which makes things even more difficult to confront the sanest voices in society, ”the letter said.
“Some of the actions and statements are unforgivable and unforgettable on the part of the people, so that the party emerges and moves in the direction of its focus and fundamental identity, in addition to recovering its image as a political alternative to the people,” he said.
BJP leaders have criticized Mehbooba for his comments, saying seditious remarks will not be tolerated. Over the past two days, the PDP headquarters in Jammu saw repeated attempts by various groups and individuals to raise the national flag, prompting the authorities to deploy police personnel in force to prevent any adverse incidents.
Mufti had previously reacted to BJP State Chairman Ravinder Raina’s comment about the filing of sedition charges against him for the tricolor statement. “The national flag represents diversity and peaceful coexistence among all. If someone has insulted the tyranny, it is the BJP that persecutes minorities and sows division and hatred. The flag of the Indian flag was disrespected the day the BJP leaders carried it to justify the rapists of a 9-year-old boy. Spare me the lessons, ”he said in a tweet.
He was referring to the protests in Jammu, where some leaders and activists had held demonstrations in support of the men who had allegedly killed and killed a Muslim girl from Bakerwal.
A few days ago, Mufti had expressed his anger at the Center saying that the people of Kashmir were not comfortable with the current and established regime in the valley.
“Everyone seems to be unhappy with the government. Not only Kashmiris, farmers and Dalits are also very agitated at the moment. Their rights have been taken away,” he had said at his first press conference after his 14-year imprisonment. months.
The leader had said that the time has come for Kashmir leaders to make sacrifices and fight for the restoration of the special constitutional status, which was taken away from Jammu and Kashmir last August. “The people of Kashmir have seen enough bloodshed and now is the time for leaders to come together and sacrifice their lives to fight for their legitimate rights.”
The PDP high table displayed two flags, one from Jammu and Kashmir and the other from PDP. She had compared the measure of August 5, when Parliament repealed Article 370, with blatant fraud and looting of the Indian Constitution. “The items were delivered to the people of Kashmir by the same Constitution, but they were forcibly removed. We will fight to get them back.”
The PPD, the National Conference and four other parties have come together to form the Gupkar People’s Alliance Declaration to fight for the restoration of special status. The BJP has already stated that the repeal of Article 370 is history and cannot be restored.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)
.
