SRINAGAR: Amid talks of dissent in his party on continuing alliance with BJP, ruling PDP patron and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Tuesday against justified his party’s alliance with the saffron party for forming the coalition government in the border State of Jammu and Kashmir.
“PDP forged alliance with BJP after two months of hectic deliberations,” Mufti said while addressing a public gathering in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
He said, “I am not a scheming person and does not enter into any political deals for personal gains. My career is like an open book which everybody can read”.
“I have seen power right through my life. My only goal to forge alliance with BJP was to remove the clouds of uncertainty and link the regions of the state together,” Mufti said adding his prime objective is to give people a truly representative government that wins their hearts and minds in all the three regions.
He said this is the only way by which they can keep the state’s multicultural ethos alive.
Mufti’s PDP won almost all its 28 seats in the 87-member J&K Assembly from Valley while BJP won all its 25 seats from Jammu region.
Mufti observed that people of the State have waited patiently since 1947 for a political process that promises them a better and prosperous tomorrow. “We have gone through tough times. People need succour which my government vows to provide”.
Defending his oft-repeated slogan of battle of ideas, he said he hates to thrust his ideology upon anyone else and doesn’t believe in muzzling the voices of the people.
“I don't have monopoly over political ideologies. I don't like putting people behind bars, but I believe our ideologies should serve people better,” he observed.
Mufti has been facing flak from separatist groups on his “battle of ideas” slogans by slamming him for placing curbs on them and preventing them from reaching to masses.
Earlier, on October 21 Mufti while addressing a party convention had hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will emerge as a big leader than Atal Bihari Vajpayee and take more initiatives on Kashmir.
“He (PM) wants to be a big leader and cannot ignore Kashmir. I met PM in New Delhi and discussed with him several important issues. He has assured me of Centre’s help in fast-tracking the development agenda of the coalition government,” the CM told his party leaders and informed them that the PM will visiting the State in first week of November during which he will announce some Kashmir-specific measures.
Mufti’s PDP is facing internal dissent with some senior party leaders including MP Tariq Hamid Karra strongly opposing party’s alliance with BJP and asking the party leadership to quit the alliance.