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Govt dissociates from Mufti remark on Pak help in polls

Last Updated 02 March 2015, 21:18 IST

The PDP-BJP alliance in Jammu and Kashmir got off to a stuttering start with the Modi government on Monday dissociating itself from Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s controversial remarks.

The Centre was put on the defensive in the Lok Sabha by an aggressive Congress-led opposition that demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarification on Sayeed’s remarks crediting Pakistan, Hurriyat and militants for allowing conducive atmosphere in the state for the year-end elections.

“I wish to make it clear that the government and the BJP completely dissociate us from this particular statement of Sayeed,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha. Singh said he had consulted Modi before making his statement.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge insisted on a statement by prime minister contending that Sayeed had spoken with Modi before making the controversial remarks.

Singh clarified that Sayeed had not spoken about this particular statement with Modi.
“I congratulate the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the smooth conduct of polls. I credit the Election Commission, the Army and personnel of paramilitary forces...the people have to be credited for the large voter turnout,” Singh said.

However, dissatisfied with the government’s clarification, members of the Congress, Left, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha.
Interestingly, the Congress appeared not hard on the government in the Rajya Sabha.
Congress member Shantaram Naik’s statement on the issue led to a whimper of protest in the Upper House, where the Opposition enjoys a majority.


Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad was not present in the House and walked in soon after Naik raised the issue. Congress sources said the party would raise the issue in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday when Modi is expected to reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address to Parliament.

BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav admitted that there were “great differences” between the BJP and PDP and that the common minimum programme would be the “guiding force” for the new government in J&K.

Sayeed was sworn in as the chief minister of the PDP-BJP coalition on Sunday after two months of intense negotiations by both the sides to keep aside their differences to “respect the mandate” and give the state its “most representative government”.
Raising objections to Sayeed’s statement in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader K C Venugopal read out a list of terror incidents, including killing of village heads and suicide attacks on Army units in Kashmir.

“This cannot be called as creating conducive atmosphere. This is a serious issue,” Venugopal, a former Union minister and member from Kerala, said.

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(Published 02 March 2015, 21:18 IST)

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