People realise after demolition drive how Article 370 protected J&K: Mehbooba

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that people of Jammu and Kashmir have now come to realise how Article 370 acted as a protective shield for them, after the BJP-led government used bulldozers to demolish houses and businesses of the poor.

She also defended her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s decision to join hands with the BJP to form the government in J&K after the 2014 assembly polls, saying the PDP patriarch had successfully “caged the beast”.

Addressing a gathering of party workers in Srinagar, Mehbooba said he (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) always ensured that people of J&K were the priority.

“After the 2014 elections, it took my father three months to make the decision of forming the government with the BJP. People blame us for bringing the BJP into power in J&K without realising that they (BJP) had the majority in the Parliament, won the majority in Jammu and also, two seats in Kupwara. Mufti sahib grabbed the BJP’s hand so that he could stop them. For one year, he was the chief minister and I was the chief minister for two years. We implemented our agenda, the Jammu and Kashmir agenda,” she added.

The PDP chief also claimed that she had revoked FIRs against 12,000 local youths.

Mehbooba said her party also brought top leaders of the country to Srinagar to talk to the Hurriyat. “I even wrote a letter to Hurriyat Conference, urging it to hold talks with top Indian leadership comprising Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Mallikarjun Kharge and Asaduddin Owaisi among others. Unfortunately, the Hurriyat Conference didn’t give any response.”