Had expected better ties with BJP in J&K : Muzaffar Baig

Amid rising tensions in view of the recent cases of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, the ties between alliance partners Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seem to be under strain.
Senior PDP leader Muzaffar Baig admitted that they had expected better ties when they joined hands with the BJP in 2014.
“I was the first person after 2014 result, who said that BJP and PDP must form government together in J&K even though we had fought elections against each other. We are supposed to be closer. I expected closer ties when 23 December 2014 the decision to have the BJP PDP alliance came through. But we haven’t achieved what was needed to improve Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
He also added that the BJP and the PDP were supposed to work as per the agenda that was formed during the formation of government in the state but it hasn’t been achieved. “The agenda of our alliance suggests there was an agreement that our status quo will be preserved and Article 370 will not be tampered with. But senior leaders of the BJP and even members of Parliament speak of getting rid of the Article 370,” he said.
However, he brushed aside allegations by former J&K CM Omar Abdullah that CM Mehbooba Mufti is trying to break out of the alliance with the BJP. “I have full faith that Mehbooba Muftiji wants to run the government for the entire term, and wants to run it with the BJP,” he added.
The state government has come under severe condemnation for its alleged mishandling of the Kashmir unrest which was followed by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Over 40 people had been killed and hundreds were critically injured in the violence.
Speaking in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Baig had targeted the BJP-led Central government over Wani’s death and had even called it a planned killing.
Claiming that Mufti was kept in the dark over Kashmir operations that led to the killing of Wani, Baig had questioned Centre’s tactics in handling the unrest.