Mufti scuttling political quota demand: Gujjars

JAMMU: Within days after former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti accused the state administration of unleashing a reign of terror on nomadic Muslim minority in pockets of the Jammu region, Gujjar leaders on Tuesday charged her with sabotaging the repeated attempts at granting political reservations to the Scheduled Tribes of the state.

Choudhary Haroon addresses mediapersons in Jammu. Tribune photo

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 22

Within days after former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti accused the state administration of unleashing a reign of terror on nomadic Muslim minority in pockets of the Jammu region, Gujjar leaders on Tuesday charged her with sabotaging the repeated attempts at granting political reservations to the Scheduled Tribes of the state.

“If Mehbooba Mufti is so worried about the plight of nomadic Muslims Gujjars and Bakerwals, she should then support the demand for political reservation for the STs in J&K,” said Ghulam Ali Khatana, a prominent Gujjar leader of Jammu.

“Unfortunately, Peoples Democratic Party has always created hurdles in political empowerment of the nomadic Muslim population of J&K,” Khatana alleged.

“What steps did Mehbooba take during her tenure as the Chief Minister to politically empower the nomadic Muslim population of J&K?” he asked.

Ridiculing the Peoples Democratic Party’s love for the Gujjars of the Jammu plains, Khatana said it was nothing but vote-bank politics to hoodwink the gullible nomads by pursuing a divisive agenda in this part of the state.

On Sunday, Mehbooba had accused the Governor’s administration of unleashing a reign of terror on the nomadic Muslim minority population in pockets of the Jammu region. She had alleged that the population was being hounded by “fanatic elements” and there was selective targeting of Gujjars and Bakerwals in the name of an anti-encroachment drive in Jammu.

Choudhary Haroon, another Gujjar leader, regretted that instead of coming out with a progressive agenda to politically empower the nomadic Muslims of J&K, Mehbooba was raking up communal and regional agenda to reap the political benefits in the coming elections. He dared the PDP president to seek support of other political parties to grant political reservation to the STs.

“We are not going to benefit from such highly provocative and divisive slogans of the PDP leader. Political empowerment of the nomadic population is the best way to improve their socio-economic condition across Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.