Hinting at going ahead with the BJP in government formation, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said her late father Mufti Sayeed’s decision to have the alliance with the saffron party was like a “wil
Hinting at going ahead with the BJP in government formation, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said her late father Mufti Sayeed’s decision to have the alliance with the saffron party was like a “will” to be fulfilled by his children even if they get “consumed” while doing so.
Ms Mufti, seen as successor to Sayeed as chief minister, said her father’s decision to ally with BJP was “patther ki lakeer (something carved in stone)” and “I stand by his word”. At the same time, she maintained that forward movement on implementation of the “agenda of alliance” by the BJP-led Central government is a pre-requisite for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir which is under Governor’s Rule since January 8. “I want to make one thing clear, that it (alliance with BJP) is a decision taken by Sayeed and I respect it. When a father makes a ‘will’ to his children, it’s their responsibility to fulfil that ‘will’ even if they get consumed while doing so,” the PDP leader said.
“For me, the decision of my father is patther ki lakeer,” she told party workers at Kupwara in north Kashmir.
Ms Mufti said the decision of Sayeed to form an alliance government with the BJP and “to shake hands with the government at the Centre was for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, to maintain unity of the state, and for peace and development.”
However, there is another aspect of that decision that it was aimed at benefiting the people of the state through implementation of the “agenda of alliance” chalked out between the two parties, she said. “The ‘agenda of alliance’ which they (his father and BJP) chalked out is also very important just like Mufti Sahib’s word,” she said.
Ms Mufti said she would form the government only if she feels that the dreams of her father would be fulfilled.
“I will sit on the chair only if I feel I will fulfil the dreams of Sayeed for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The chair is needed for the people of the state, not for myself. If I will get the chair just for myself and my family, then I don’t need it as I don’t have such ambitions. “If I had such an ambition, I would have taken the chair during the lifetime of my father,” she said. Later talking to reporters, Ms Mufti said, “I anyway don’t want to reinforce the stereotype that we Kashmiris are not true to our word. My father was true to his word and I stand by his word.”
