Senior leader and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir Tuesday alleged that all Hurriyat leaders actively supported Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and his Peoples Democratic Party in 2014 assembly elections.
Mir, the president of Democratic Party Nationalist, however, said that PDP has failed to emerge as viable alternative to National Conference.In an exclusive interview, Mir said, “Everybody from the Hurriyat camp supported him. The Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has an equation with Mufti.”
“But after getting support from all quarters, Mufti betrayed people, rather backstabbed them, especially the youth, who for the first time came out to cast vote.”
Mir said the equation between Geelani and Mufti dates back to boycott call given by Plebiscite Front in 1970s. “It was Jamaat-e-Islami headed by Geelani that joined the election fray and Mufti was senior Congress leader then. Their relationship is since then,” he claimed.
He said that Hurriyat Conference (M) led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also supported Mufti, though not publicly. “PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is right, she has given enough hints. Now it’s for the separatists to explain,” Mir said.
He castigated the PDP for remaining silent in the Parliament over Article 370. “In the Agenda of Alliance, PDP promises that Article 370 won’t be touched, but see the same issue is being discussed in the Parliament and PDP has no guts to react.”
On whether he feels any instability to the PDP-BJP coalition, Mir said he doesn’t see any danger to government as long as Mufti “behaves like a good boy of BJP.”
He accused the PDP of betraying the youth. “Youth for the first time participated in elections and voted in favour of PDP. They thought PDP would keep BJP at bay, but what happened? BJP used PDP as a shoulder to rule J&K.”
“This resulted in cynicism among the youth and the repercussions of this betrayal would be dangerous. Youth is feeling alienated and frustrated.”
He said that Mufti even failed to represent the Valley. “PDP thought that their regional aspirations would be met given the nature of mandate it received. What happened? Jammu got AIIMS and also IIT and IIM. What about Kashmir? PDP failed to protect the interests of Kashmiris.”
He said that PDP was floated with an aim to make the party as a viable alternative to National Conference. “But look today, all the founder members of PDP are annoyed. And the reason is wrong policies of Mufti,” Mir, also a founding member of the party before separating his ways, said.
“This party didn’t become democratic alternative but a personal property of the person heading it.”
Asked about the controversy triggered by former Army Chief VK Singh, Mir said: “The allegations against me were not proved. Why Omar Abdullah kept mum? He didn’t say anything then. I also remained silent. We both know India and Pakistan send money to Kashmir.”
Mir had grabbed headlines in September 2013 when VK Singh revealed that he (Mir) had received Rs 1.19 crore from the Army’s secret funds to topple the Omar Abdullah government in 2010.
