KL Report
SRINAGAR
Former interlocutor and Kashmir Policy and Strategy Group Convener, M M Ansari Monday said that both BJP and Congress were playing politics over the release of separatist leader Masrat Alam to please their constituencies in J&K and elsewhere in the country.
Talking to KNS over phone from New Delhi he said, “BJP and Congress want to have cake and eat it too. They are trying to be hypocritical on the whole issue (Masrat’s release). They are trying to please their constituencies both in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.”
“BJP is part of the coalition in J&K and I believe they must have been taken into confidence before Masrat was released. Congress has no locus standi over the issue,” he claimed.
Ansari said that government had to release Masrat anyway. “On what basis they would have slapped another PSA on him unless you had some fresh ground. You can’t detain some one on same charge time and again. For four and half years he was jailed without any trial,” he said.
The former interlocutor said when All Parties delegation went to Kashmir in 2010 these all things were discussed and it was decided what to do in future. “Later interlocutors’ gave their recommendations but those were not implemented. It was in our recommendations that those prisoners who have no criminal cases should be released. And for that all national and regional political parties are responsible,” Ansari said.
Asked whether he feels that interlocutors report was wastage of time as the recommendations in the report were not implemented on ground, he said, “It was not a futile process. Partly these were implemented and partly not. Recommendations related to political prisoners, misuse of PSA and AFSPA have not been implemented. But socio-economic recommendations have been implemented to some extent.”
He said that new Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has also in his CMP said that Kashmir issue will be resolved within the ambit of humanity, Kashmiryat and democracy. “He (Mufti) also said that all stake holders will be taken into confidence and I think Masrat Alam’s release is a right step in that direction,” Ansari said.
On former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s assertions over Masrat’s release, he said, “If Omar says Masrat Alam was responsible for the killings, why didn’t he charge sheet him? Why did he not take any action against him? I think he is trying to save his skin.”
