SRINAGAR Outgoing Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, on Tuesday sought to play the victim card and tried to wriggle out of the situation which she had been pushed in due to the BJPs abrupt decision to pull out of the alliance.
She raised the bogey of Article 370 and unilateral ceasefire, saying the muscular security policy will not work in the state and reconciliation is the key.
“I am not shocked as this alliance was never for power. PDP never believes in power politics and we worked for the people,” she told reporters after an hour-long meeting with her ministers and party workers at her residence.
Mehbooba maintained that Jammu and Kashmir was not an enemy territory as being perceived by few. “We had always said muscular security policy will not work in J-K, reconciliation is key,” she said.
She began her press conference by raising Article 370, under which the state enjoys a special status, and said “…we have safeguarded Article 370 and 35-A (of the Constitution) and we will continue to do that”.
“We have been able to withdraw 11,000 cases against the stone pelters,” she said while listing her side of the story after the BJP pulled out of its alliance with the PDP in the state.
She also mentioned about the unilateral ceasefire during Ramazan announced by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lahore in 2015.
Mehbooba, who submitted her resignation to the governor this evening , said her party will continue to strive for dialogue and reconciliation in the state.
“I have told the governor we will not go into any other alliance,” she said.
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