Date:05/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/05/stories/2009010558021000.htm

National

No compromise on agenda: Mehbooba

Shujaat Bukhari

Mehbooba Mufti

SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti has lauded United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi for her statesmanship that contributed in substantial measure to the turnaround in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The compliment was paid in a letter to Ms. Gandhi on Sunday in which the PDP formally dissociated itself from the UPA in the wake of the Alliance’s new arrangement with the National Conference.

She said that during the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s stewardship, an unprecedented national consensus was attained on Kashmir.

The need for opening up to Pakistan and reaching out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for its final settlement was vehemently articulated by the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and his successor Manmohan Singh. “My father and my party feel we have done a duty towards our State, which could not have been achieved without the support of your party and the UPA government.”

She said: “I have, from time to time, been briefing you on the goings on in our coalition arrangement, which unfortunately could not run its full course. But, even after the fall of the PDP-Congress coalition government in the State, we continued to be with the UPA and extended our full support to your government at the Centre in whatever circumstances.”

Ms. Mufti said:

“The PDP will not compromise on its agenda. We had gone into the recent elections with our agenda for dialogue, self-rule, reduction of troops and scrapping of special powers in view of the vastly improved ground situation in the State.

“The emphatic rejection of violence by the State people as a means of solving problems and a reiteration of their faith in the democratic means became very clear in the just concluded elections.

“We have been raising vital issues concerning the State and its people for quite some time in the interest of peace and stability. We, as a responsible Opposition, will continue to flag the issues that we feel people have mandated us for.

“As you have exercised your unquestionable right to choose a partner for government-formation, we wish the new government well. I sincerely hope it will able to respond to the highly complex situation with success.”