Will take everyone along despite hue and cry: Mufti

Asserting that he won’t be deterred by any “small hue and cry”, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Sunday said he will take along all stakeholders to establish peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking in the Legislative Council, Mufti said soon after the formation of the PDP-BJP coalition government in the state, he made it clear that he would ensure that everyone was taken onboard.
“I want to take along all the stakeholders and by the stakeholders I mean all the people whether in the mainstream or outside it, we will take them along as well,” Mufti said.
Terming the formation of the coalition government in the state as a historic opportunity, he said that he was not afraid of “small hue and cry” being created.
“People who voted overwhelmingly, gave this opportunity to make history, I am not afraid of small hue and cry,” Mufti said.
He said it was the “determination and the will” of the people that counts for him. “We will follow our path and this small hue and cry won’t do any harm to our mission,” he added.
“It is a journey to provide clean government, a journey to provide accountability, transparency, a journey of political will, and we have to take advantage of this and take Jammu and Kashmir out of this trouble,” Mufti said.
The chief minister asserted that if India faced any challenge it was establishment of peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir and BJP also realised this.
“I say if the country… if India has a challenge somewhere, it is in Jammu and Kashmir. Even the people from BJP also realise that our vision is not only to run the government, they have realised the challenge,” he said.
There has been unease in BJP over the working of Mufti such as the decision to release separatist leader Masarat Alam and BJP chief Amit Shah had even said that his party would not compromise on national interest and could end its alliance with PDP if “Kashmir issue” is not solved.
Mufti was speaking after PDP’s Haji Inayat Ali and Congress’ Jahangir Hassan Mir were unanimously elected as the chairman and deputy chairman of the legislative council. Their names were proposed by education minister Naeem Akhtar.
The chief minister said that sometimes his partymen get “angry” over his decision, but he continues to take along everybody.
“In the lower house we gave the position of deputy speaker to the National Conference and in this house we elected a Congress candidate for the post of deputy chairman, I strongly believe in taking everyone on-board,” he said.
“Sometimes the people from my party get angry but I continue to take along everybody. I want to take along all the stakeholders and by the stakeholders I mean all the people whether in the mainstream or outside it, we will take them along as well,” Mufti said.
He said that be it National Conference or Congress, his aim is to take along everybody.
“I don’t aim at taking away their role of opposition from them. I recently told somebody from Delhi that we are here to provide an alternative,” he said.
Congratulating the newly elected chairman and deputy chairman of the legislative council, Mufti said he was hopeful that they will perform their duty well like their predecessors.