BJP miffed by PDP’s decision to release Masarat Alam, says party wasn’t taken into confidence on the matter
The BJP despite being a major partner in the coalition govt was not taken into confidence by the PDP in the matter.
Less than 24 hours after the release of Muslim League chairman and senior Hurriyat leader, Masarat Alam, from Baramulla jail, BJP on Sunday asked Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed to refrain from such decisions as these will not be tolerated by it any more.
The BJP despite being a major partner in the coalition government was not taken into confidence by the PDP in the matter, said State BJP president and MP from Jammu-Poonch constituency, Jugal Kishore Sharma. “We will not tolerate such things any more and this will be conveyed to the PDP leadership,” he added.
However, before conveying this message, all BJP legislators including ministers and senior party leaders are meeting in Jammu in the afternoon to discuss statements and decisions taken by Mufti Sayeed and his party legislators after government formation in the state a week ago. The meeting will be chaired by Avinash Rai Khanba, BJP MP and incharge of party affairs in Jammu Kashmir.
Ever since the swearing in of Mufti Sayeed as chief minister in the state on March 1, the government has been faced with one or the other controversy. Barely an hour after his swearing in, Mufti had credited Pakistan and separatist Hurriyat for smooth assembly polls in the Valley. Thereafter, eight PDP legislators described hanging of Parliament convict Afzal Guru as travesty of justice and demanded return of his mortal remains.
The latest in the series has been release of Masarat Alam from jail. The brain behind 2010 stone pelting leading to killing if 112 people was arrested and detained under PSA.
Angry over his release, over 200 Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers led by their state general secretary Ajay Pargal held demonstration in Jammu demanding re-arrest of the Hurriyat hardliner. Describing him the brain behind 2010 stone pelting in Valley, Pargal said that his release will again lead to law and order problem in the state and the government will be responsible for it.
Significantly, BJP state secretary Yudhvir Sethi, whose wife Priya Sethi is minister of state in the coalition ministry, was also present among the demonstrators.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Nowshera, Ravinder Raina, described Mufti Sayeed’s decision to release Hurriyat hardliner Masarat Alam as “threat to national security”.
Accusing Chief Minister of “plugging the state in darkness of communalism”, he saw in Masarat’s release “a sinister design to hijack the verdict of the nationalist forces who want the writ of the Indian and the State Constitution prevail in letter and spirit”. He said chief minister and his advisors by releasing such people from jails were working as “facilitators of the enemy who want to balkanize India”.
He asked the Chief Minister to desist from taking such decisions which are against national interest. ” Otherwise BJP will not tolerate any move aimed at playing with national security and social harmony in the already sensitive state,” he added.
Shiv Sena general secretary Ashok Gupta described the protest as an attempt by BJP to befool people. It is their own government who has ordered Masarat’s release, he said, adding that if they are so perturbed then they should ask their leaders to pull out of the coalition.
Source:: Indian Express
