Srinagar: Disapproving the imposition of ban on Jamat -e- Islami (JeI) by the government of India, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has said that such a decision would further shrink the space for political rapprochement and reconciliation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the meeting of senior party leaders which was called to deliberate upon the latest developments being witnessed at present, Mehbooba said that the Government of India is taking an ostrich-like approach towards Kashmir which is reeling under a dreadful crisis.
She added that Jamat-e-Islami has been credited for running schools and is a socio-religious organization which is totally non- violent and the organization has on many occasions publicly disapproved of violence as a method of political struggle. “Banning this organisation will further shrink the space for politics and dialogue and it seems that the government of India is now completely depending on force as a measure to subjugate the people of state,” Mehbooba said and cautioned that no muscular policy will work as it has never worked in the past and it will never work in the future also.
The PDP President also termed the recent Union Cabinet decision a dangerous trend being set by the central government in Jammu and Kashmir and said PDP will now allow such constitutional vandalism to take place.
She said that her party is not against reservations in promotions as it was done by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 2004 -2005, but got held up in courts.
Mehbooba added that PDP doesn’t oppose the idea of reservation but the method the Governor administration has adopted is very dangerous and it is a clear subversion of letter and spirit of the law. “It is the President who is right now ruling the state and his own representative cannot take the role of the state cabinet in the matter of making constitutional changes. This is a fraud on the constitution and on the people of the state,” Mehbooba said.
She added that PDP will not allow this constitutional vandalism to deprive the state of the last remnants autonomy and constitutional guarantees.
