Mufti said that her father did not believe in deceiving people and was certain that India was Jammu and Kashmir’s best option for the future.
July 31 in Srinagar: According to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had requested an assurance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi prior to the formation of a government in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 that the Centre would not repeal Article 370 of the Constitution.
Speaking to a crowd on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s (here) 24th anniversary of its founding, Mufti said that her father Sayeed was not a power-hungry person who sought to free Jammu and Kashmir from its issues.
“Mufti sahib met Modi and presented his list of requirements for the formation of a government when he had 28 seats (in the 2014 Assembly elections). He accepted the BJP government’s pledge that (Article) 370 would not be changed. His hands were bound. It took him three months to build the (coalition) administration in Jammu and Kashmir, therefore he wasn’t interested in power, she said.
“Mufti sahib informed the Congress (which had 20 seats) that he would form the government only if discussions were made with Pakistan and separatists,” she added, “despite having just 16 MLAs in the 2002 Assembly elections.
Mufti said that her father did not believe in deceiving people and was certain that India was Jammu and Kashmir’s best option for the future.
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was brought back into the mainstream in 1975 by Indira Gandhi, and although being the president of the (Pradesh) Congress at the time, he accepted her choice.
According to Mufti, major advancements were achieved in Jammu and Kashmir’s development and reconciliation during her father’s first stint as chief minister.
“The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road was reopened, the Advani-Hurriyat talks were held, and development work got a boost,” she remarked.
