Mehbooba’s provocative remarks resulted in downgrading of J&K into union territories, says PDP leader

A senior leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s statement that none would be left to hold the Tricolour in Jammu and Kashmir if Article 370 was tampered with, resulted in downgrading of a historical and vast state into two union territories.

“I was not personally present when she (Mehbooba Mufti) made these remarks but they were provocative and her remarks resulted into downgrading of the state into union territories,” said Muzaffar Hussain Baig, one of the founding members of PDP, who wrote the party’s constitution.

Baig has also served as the erstwhile state’s finance minister.

Baig’s media interaction on Thursday was the first by any senior leader of the PDP ever since Article 370 was revoked on August 5 last year.

Referring further to Mehbooba’s provocative remarks, he said that no on could intimidate Prime Minister and Home Minister of the country.

Baig, who was put under house arrest after revocation of Article 370, expressed regrets that politicians including three former chief ministers like Mufti, National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah remain under detention.

“They took oath under Indian Constitution and Farooq Sajid used to shout Bharat Mata Ki Jai. These politicians and former legislators took oath under the Indian Constitution. They stood against Hurriyat and fought militancy. We lost our relatives. And, now all of them have been detained since August 4,” he said.

Baig said that when one of Farooq Abdullah’s friend moved a petition under Section 107 (then RPC, now IPC) questioning detention of a former CM and sitting MP, government slapped PSA on him.

“Others, who were thinking of doing the same, dropped the idea out of the fear of getting booked under PSA,” he said.

“I want to urge the government that detained politicians should be immediately released and if they have done something wrong then book them under sedition charges and let them face trials,” Baig added.

The PDP leader said that since the state lost its special status and has been downgraded to union territories, he would like the Centre and Parliament to ensure domicile safeguards, land and job rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the lines of northeastern states.

“The government has put domicile safeguards via Articel 371 in northeastern states. Since J&K is also a hilly region and unemployment is a nagging problem here, there should be similar domicile safeguards, job and land rights in place for the people here”, he said.