National Conference on Monday lashed out at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the PDP-BJP Government for compromising on crucial issues of importance to the State in lieu of political power. Referring the remarks of the Union Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, Senior National Conference Leader and Former Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather said the struggle to seek the revocation of AFSPA from the State had received an enormous setback because of PDP’s tacit agreement with the BJP and the Central Government on this issue.Pertinently the Union Defense Minister has categorically ridiculed the demand for revoking AFSPA from J&K and has advocated nothing short of total and complete immunity for the Armed Forces.“This has yet again exposed PDP and their pretense of negotiating with the Central Government on CBMs. We all remember how the present Chief Minister was vocal about AFSPA revocation while she was an opposition leader and now suddenly AFSPA revocation is not even the list of priorities for the incumbent government she heads.
The Defense Minister’s categorical refusal to even consider the revocation of the Act is a serious development and the Chief Minister and her party are both answerable as this was a goal mentioned in their ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ with the BJP”, Abdul Rahim Rather said.The Senior NC Leader said the Central Government had now officially turned down almost every single demand of PDP and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti clearly proving that her two-month long dramatic posturing before ascending to the throne was nothing but an effort to salvage the last vestiges of credibility for her party.“The Central Government has also categorically refused to hand over power projects to the State – which was another main demand of PDP and a pillar of their ‘Agenda of the Alliance’. We have seen how the Chief Minister and her party leaders including Members of Parliament have chosen to be mute spectators as New Delhi bulldozes one demand after another. What are the Members of Parliament doing in New Delhi if they can’t manage to express their resentment against this arbitrary dismissal of their please by their alliance partner’s Government in the Center? Unfortunately it seems that the MPs from PDP have been instructed to watch as mute spectators as the interests of the State are violated and neglected with scant regard to promises that have been made with the people”, the Senior NC Leader added. (KNS)