Reserving two assembly seats for Pandits would have brought them close to Muslims: Mehbooba Mufti

Jammu: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said reserving two assembly seats for Kashmiri Pandits would have been the biggest confidence building measure for the displaced community before their return and rehabilitation in the valley.

The PDP president alleged that the annual Amarnath Yatra has been militarized and no one is allowed to move near the pilgrims.

"I believe the biggest CBM (confidence building measure) for (return of) Kashmiri Pandits would have been reserving two assembly seats for them in the valley instead of sending two members of the community through nomination," Mufti told reporters here.

"By reserving two seats, they would have come for votes and as a result this would have provided both Pandits and Muslims an opportunity to come close to each other. That was the best way to integrate Pandits back in Kashmir," she said.

The former chief minister criticised the BJP's policy on Kashmir and said even tourism related places and pilgrimages have been militarized.

"If you look at Kashmir, there are so many places for tourists. Amarnath Yatra, which we used to wait for and talk to the saints to feel good, has also been militarized. Even flies cannot go there. What are you doing with Jammu and Kashmir? You are destroying this region," she said.

The PDP president said there is a need to review the agreement over power projects as "the electricity we are generating is of no benefit to us".

"That is benefiting the rest of the country. First and foremost our state should be compensated financially for these projects and free electricity should be ensured to poor residents," she added.

Reiterating her demand for an impartial inquiry into the recent killing of a Gujjar youth, Pervez Ahmad, in police firing in Jammu, the former chief minister said that the government should ensure justice to his family.

"It is not only about Pervez. More than half a dozen tribal youth have died in mysterious circumstances over the past six months. Makhan Din committed suicide in Kathua after accusing police of harassment, three young men disappeared in Kulgam and it was said they drowned in river," said Mufti.

"In Bandipora, an overground worker was called to the police station and later it was claimed that he died in an encounter, while another arrested youth in Noorabad-Tangmarg (Baramulla) was claimed to have drowned while trying to escape. I see it as a pattern rather than isolated incidents," she added.

The PDP president alleged that the lives of Gujjars have been made miserable in Jammu and Kashmir.

"They are not allowed to freely graze their cattle by police and so called (Gav) Rakshakh. They are not Rakshak but demons who are harassing the Gujjars and forcing them out of forests. Justice should be done with Pervez, who left behind a young widow. An impartial probe should take place since police itself said that he was martyred. There should be accountability and appropriate action so that the family is given justice," she said.

As long as the PDP was in coalition with the BJP, Mufti said "We tied their hands and did not allow them to touch Article 370. I ensured a ceasefire (with militants) and revoked the FIRs of 12,000 youth during my government. (BJP leader) Arun Jaitley came in a delegation to talk to the people of Kashmir." Thousands of people are in jails and are sick but nobody is talking about them, she pointed out.

The PDP chief also trained her guns on the ruling National Conference (NC).

"We thought the (National Conference) government would talk about them. But they are only talking about restoration of statehood and a war is going on between the lieutenant governor-led administration and the NC-led government over authority to transfer. No one talks about real issues like roads, electricity, water and unemployment," she said.

Mufti further said she will not hesitate in praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he takes decisions like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who opened cross-border roads when the NDA was in power and initiated talks in an effort to resolve the Kashmir problem.

"But if he (Modi) takes a decision like August 5, 2019 then we will criticize him," she added.

The Central government earlier on August 5, 2019 abrogated Article 370, which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Centre also divided Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs) -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.