Modi Govt dis-associates itself from Mufti's remarks - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir

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Modi Govt dis-associates itself from Mufti's remarks

3/3/2015 11:32:16 PM

When Chief Minister,Mufti Mohd.Sayeed,gave credit to Pakistan and separatists,besides militants, for having made atmosphere conducive which resulted in high polling percentage,during the Assembly election,in the state of Jammu and Kashmir he was simply trying to contradict the JKLF Chief, Mohd. Yasin Mailk.Mailk had recently alleged that separatists' call for poll boycott could not be enforced because of the measures taken by the central Government.In fact he had credited the central Government with the success it had achieved in seeing that people did not respond to the call for poll boycott.And if Mailk is to be believed that Central Government deserves the credit for ensuing over 60 per cent polling in the Kashmir valley.And Malik too was trying to contradict field reports which had given a new twist to the idea behind heavy polling percentage.According to these field reports separatists did not make a determined bid for enforcing their call for poll boycott after the Union Finance Minister,Arun Jaitley,had stated that in case there was poor polling percentage it would help the BJP candidates in winning the election from the Kashmir valley on the strength of the votes polled by Kashmir Pandits and others.And even the separatists have admitted to this fact saying that they did not enforce their call for poll boycott so that heavy polling could ensure defeat of the BJP candidates.If that was the stand taken by the separatists they seem to have been proved correct because the BJP failed to win a single seat from the valley,which has 46 Assembly segments. Now the latest statement from Mufti Sayeed in which he gave credit to the Pakistani agencies, separatists and militants for having made the atmosphere conducive for high polling percentage has already created a major row in various parts of the country.The Opposition in the Parliament has demanded that a resolution be adopted condemning Sayeed's statement in which he has given credit to separatists,militants and outsiders for the peaceful conduct of the election in Jammu and Kashmir.The demand for such a resolution seems to have placed the BJP led NDA Government in a predicament.In order to come out of the embarrassment the the Government and the BJP on Monday "totally disassociated" itself from Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's statement crediting "separatists" and "outsiders" for the peaceful conduct of elections in the State. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also denied Sayeed's claim that he had discussed this with the Prime Minister."Our government and party totally dis associates itself from the Chief Minister's statement,'' Singh informed the Lok Sabha when the issue was raised by Congress member K. C. Venugopal during Zero Hour. He echoed the Opposition's assertion that credit for the smooth conduct of the polls and wide participation of the people in the electoral process should go to the people of the State, the Election Commission of India and the security forces. To the Opposition demand that a clarification be made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Home Minister said he was making this statement after consulting him. The Opposition also demanded a resolution condemning the statement and a clarification from Modi since Sayeed is on record stating that he had communicated his view to the Prime Minister. Well on the f ace of it there was no urgency for the Mufti to start his innings with a statement that could set the river Ganga on fire.But he should have one aim for doing this.Since the Mufti has been an ardent supporter of cordial ties between India and Pakistan he has seemingly tried to keep Islamabad in good humour.So has been his idea of keeping militants and separatists in good mood so that they do not create any major problem for the Government he is heading.He wants his Government to complete six years and hence he has keen to build bridges with the separatists and Islamabad and that has been the reason for him to persuade the BJP led central Government to agree to his suggestion on resumption of talks with Islamabad and with the Kashmiri separatists. If it was the basic idea behind the Mufti's controversial statement he needs to be given time to adapt to the changing political scenario in Jammu and Kashmir and in India so that the Government he heads is able to provide a good governance.If the Mufti keeps on touching extraneous issues he may simply waste his time and instead of spending his energy on productive activities he would be inviting criticism.

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