KV Correspondent

CM, Dy CM rush to Delhi to ‘fix cracks’ in coalition

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Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, and Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh, Sunday rushed to New Delhi for a meeting with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to sort out differences between coalition partners which were triggered over the mode of handling the protests in Kashmir.

Sources said that CM attended the meeting of the Niti Ayog earlier during the day, which was chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh, attended the meeting of the Chief Ministers of BJP ruled states, which was also presided over by Modi. Mehbooba is likely to meet PM on Monday to flag the issues that have confronted the coalition partners.

Mehbooba’s meeting with PM will come as the PDP and BJP entered into squabble over the handling of streets protests in Kashmir, On Saturday, a day after senior PDP leader and Education Minister, Altaf Bukhari, had said that BJP National General Secretary, Ram Madhav’s, remarks that “everything is fair in love and war” over use of human shield by army would legitimize crime, BJP hit back stating Minister’s remarks would ” encourage separatists and other secessionists.”

BJP and PDP bickering got intense as the right wing party said that “It’s in unfortunate that a senior leader and minister in our coalition issued a statement without knowing the facts. Such statements encourage separatists and other secessionist elements.”  

On Friday while strongly condemning Madhav’s remarks, Altaf had said one fails to understand “against whom Madhav has declared a war”.  “Is it a war declared against Kashmiris who, despite all odds, cast their votes, reaffirming their belief in democracy? Or it is a war declared to satiate the sanguine electoral interests of a particular political party in the country?” he asked.

Earlier on Thursday, PDP Vice President, Sartaj Madni, reacted sharply to the BJP Minister Chandra Prakash Ganga’s remark that youth throwing stones in Kashmir should be dealt with bullets.

Strongly condemning, what he termed the grossly insensitive remarks, Madni, said that such disgusting utterances are not only unjustifiable but perilous as well. 

“It is unbecoming of a senior Minister in the Government to dish out such a sweeping, sickening and intimidating statement against the Kashmiri youth,” Madni said in a statement.

The relations between the two coalition partners remained strained as the BJP didn’t keep the promise with PDP to vote for its candidate in the legislative council elections and instead supported its own candidate. Earlier an electoral understanding was reached between PDP and BJP that latter will give first preference of votes to PDP candidate. But during the elections which were held both BJP and PDP candidates got equal votes following which the election was decided on the draw of lots.

In her meeting with PM, Mehbooba is likely to press for political engagement with different stake holders on Kashmir issue, while seeking Modi’s intervention to prevent BJP Ministers from issuing public statements in contravention to the Agenda of Alliance.


KV Correspondent

Kashmir Correspondent cover all daily updates for the newspaper

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