No fun in contesting polls if you cannot even withdraw FIR as CM: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, Aug 28 (IANS) Former J&K Chief Minister and President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that there is no fun in contesting an Assembly election if you are unable to even withdraw an FIR as Chief Minister. 

The PDP President would not be contesting the polls ‘personally’ but her party will participate in the ensuing Assembly elections in J&K.

“I have been Chief Minister of a government with the BJP which revoked FIRs against 12,000 persons in 2016. Can we do that now? As the Chief Minister of a government led by PM Modi, I wrote a letter to separatists inviting them for talks. Can we do it now? I got a ceasefire implemented. Can we do it now? What does one do with such a post if you cannot even withdraw an FIR as Chief Minister?” she said. 

She was asked whether she had a change of heart on contesting polls after NC Vice President Omar Abdullah made a U-turn on his stand of not participating in the polls till J&K was a union territory. 

“Omar himself said that he will have to be at the door of the L-G for the transfer of a peon. I am not bothered about the transfer of the peon but can we implement our agenda? she asked. 

Omar Abdullah had vowed not to take part in assembly polls till J&K remained a union territory but is now among the 32 candidates named by the party on Tuesday. 

The former Chief Minister will contest polls from Ganderbal where he had won in 2008.  

On the alliance between NC and Congress for Jammu and Kashmir polls, the PDP President said the two parties have always come together just for the sake of power.  

“When we allied with Congress in 2002, we had an agenda. We released Syed Ali Geelani from jail. Can you think of doing it today? When we allied with the BJP government in 2014, we had an ‘Agenda of Alliance’ in which we had it in writing that Article 370 would not be touched, AFSPA to be revoked, talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat, return of power projects, etc. We had an agenda. However, when Congress and NC announced the alliance, it’s simply for power,” she said. 

On the possibility of Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla Sheikh Abdul Rashid and senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah being released from jail ahead of the polls, she said it would be a positive development. 

She urged the government to consider releasing even those lesser-known people who are entitled to bail, but have been denied bail. 

“You can put a person in jail, but you cannot imprison the ideas. Democracy is a battle of ideas. It has been delayed, but Engineer Rashid and Shabir Shah should be released along with all those languishing in jails who are entitled to bail but are not even getting that relief,” she said.

She added that the government has been saying time and again that they want to start a process of reconciliation in J&K.  

“I tell them to open the doors of the jails and the process of reconciliation will start,” she asserted. 

She said the PDP is fighting for a bigger cause as it is the only party which implements its agenda after coming to power. 

"In 2002, we said we would repeal POTA and we did it. We fulfilled opening the cross-LoC routes and facilitated talks with the Hurriyat Conference. We follow our agenda and even today our agenda is that there is an issue which cannot be resolved without addressing it. Restoration of Article 370 is also important for the resolution of the J&K issue,” she said. 

She added that the PDP has always fought alone based on the support of the people.

The party has also announced to field Bashir Ahmad Mir against Omar Abdullah for the Ganderbal seat. 

Bashir belongs to the adjacent Kangan Assembly constituency and has fought elections unsuccessfully twice against the NC’s formidable candidate, the senior Gujjar leader, Mian Altaf Ahmad. 

Kangan constituency was declared an ST reserved constituency after the delimitation of the Assembly constituency. Only a tribal candidate can fight elections from this reserved constituency. 

PDP also announced 17 more candidates for different Assembly constituencies including Bashir Ahmad Mir for Ganderbal, Mohammad Khursheed Alam will stand from Eidgah, Sheikh Gowhar Ali from Zadibal, Mohammad Iqbal Trumboo from Chanapora, Aga Syed Munatzir Mehdi for Budgam, advocate Javid Chowdhary for Surankote, advocate Mahroof Khan for Mendhar, Farooq Inquilabi for Gulabgarh, advocate Syed Majid Shah for Kalakote-Sunderbani, advocate Haq Nawaz for Nowshera, Master Tasaduq Hussain for Rajouri, advocate Guftar Ahmad Choudhary for Budhal, advocate Qamar Hussain Choudhary for Thanamandi, Syed Tajamul Islam for Bandipore, advocate Abdul Haq Khan for Lolab, Basharat Bukhari for Wagoora-Kreeri and Javaid Iqbal Ganaie for Pattan constituency. 

--IANS 

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