Became CM to keep father’s word to Modi: Mehbooba

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 28

Facing pressure to bring the situation back to normal in the Valley, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said she never wanted to sit on the chair but did it to fulfil the commitment made by his father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We (PDP and BJP) joined to put an end to the violence erupting every now and then,” Mehbooba said after inaugurating the Ujala scheme for the state here today.

Mehbooba said she never thought beyond her father when it came to sitting on the CM’s chair. “I wanted him to change the fortunes of the state but after his death, I had to fulfil his commitment,” she said, adding that people got angry over her decision of allying with the BJP.

Mehbooba is under tremendous pressure over continuous curfew and shutdown for the past 51 days in the Valley after militant commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter.

In the ongoing unrest, 70 people have been killed and thousands have been injured. Her government hasn’t been able to pacify the protesters, including youth aged 10 to 15 years, who according to her, used to accompany her during her public rallies.

The Chief Minister landed in Jammu today after meeting the Prime Minister in New Delhi on Saturday where she called for initiating a dialogue with people who want a peaceful solution of the issue.

Mehbooba wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to adopt former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s policy towards Kashmir by acting like a bigger player to address the issue and at the same time felt that if the issue was not solved during Modi’s tenure, it would never be solved.

“Modi Saheb has got the big mandate of people of the country and if we want to solve this issue, we will have to adopt Vajpayee’s policy,” she said. “Pakistan will have to reply with friendship and toe Vajpayee’s line to resolve the issue,” Mehbooba added.