A day after the release of hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam, even as rumblings within the shaky week-old PDP-BJP Government in J&K gathered momentum on Sunday, the Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the Mufti Mohd Sayeed Government on circumstances leading to the release of the Hurriyat leader, who has over 15 cases pending against him.
The State BJP, for its part, went into a huddle and emerged to issue a warning to the PDP that taking such “unilateral” decisions “would not be tolerated”. The BJP, which also registered its protest with the PDP, said the decision was not part of the CMP agreed upon between the two alliance partners. The PDP, however, claimed it was very much in tune with the CMP that called for involving all stakeholders for reconciliation and peace in the State, which would not be possible with them being in jail.
In the BJP meeting, there were even demands for snapping of the party’s ties with the PDP, sources said. The meeting was chaired by BJP J&K Affairs in-charge and MP Avinash Rai Khanna and attended by State president Jugal Kishore. Interestingly, Kishore has been nominated to head a committee along with PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to oversee implementation of the CMP.
With the Opposition likely to raise the issue in Parliament on Monday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh could outline the Government’s position on the issue. Officials of the Kashmir division in the Home Ministry worked overtime to gather all facts from the State Government on the issue.
The MHA wanted to know the reasons that led to release of Alam, who has around 15 cases pending against him, including those registered under Section 120 and 121 Ranbir Penal Code (waging war against the country) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
“This has to be seen in proper perspective. It is an important part of our CMP to involve all stakeholders in the State, and across the loC, for reconciliation and peace in the State,” PDP chief spokesman and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said, adding, “If you want to have a dialogue with all stakeholders, which include these leaders, you cannot engage them by keeping them in jail without anything substantial against them.”
But Kishore told reporters after the meeting that the decision to release Alam has been taken unilaterally by the PDP without consulting the alliance partner. “We (BJP) were not consulted. We have registered our protest with the Government (over the decision),” he said.
Kishore said the BJP would not accept any such unilateral decision in the future. Another BJP leader Kavinder Gupta, who is tipped to be elected as Speaker of the legislative Assembly said that the party will take up the matter with its coalition partner to ensure such steps were not repeated in future.
Alam’s release has triggered a major political controversy with the BJP being questioned by allies and foes alike over its alliance with the PDP. While the Congress asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clean on his stand over the “continuous adventurism” of the PDP-BJP Government in Jammu & Kashmir, which was “endangering” the peace in the Valley, ally Shiv Sena too slammed the Government.
“We strongly condemn the release of Alam. The PM and BJP must answer as to why peaceful atmosphere of Jammu & Kashmir is being sought to be disturbed by successive unilateral moves by PDP-BJP Government,” AICC Communication Department in-charge Randeep Surjewala said.
Congress leader Manish Tewari said it was a peculiar situation that in Kashmir, a separatist is released, in Jammu, BJP is protesting and in Delhi, it evades questions. He tweeted: “Mr PM who is he, political prisoner or terroristIJ”
Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut said, “Shiv Sena had been giving warning signs on whatever has been going on in Kashmir. It is like playing with fire.” He said forming a Government with the PDP, with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, is “like putting the country in danger and the process of that has begun.” Raut, whose party is the oldest ally of BJP, underlined that Alam is a “big danger for the country”.
The National Conference and the Panthers Party too expressed resentment over Alam’s release. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has defended his Government’s decision to put Alam behind bars for more than four years. Omar in a series of twitter messages described Alam as the man behind the 2010 protests and claimed that following his arrest the protests and killings waned.
Separate groups of Congress and Panthers Party workers protested outside the Jammu Press Club against the Government’s decision to release Masarat Alam. The protesters said that such acts would encourage separatist groups to consolidate and launch fresh offensive against the State.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people visited Alam’s Zaindar Mohalla residence in Srinagar to falicitate him on walking free after four and a half years’ detention. He told reporters that he has been released through a proper legal process and it doesn’t matter to him if he was arrested again. “I have been in and out of jails since childhood. The change in Government doesn’t change the ground realities of Kashmir,” he said.
“Release of Masrat Alam will further strengthen the freedom movement of Kashmir,” hardline Huriryat leader Syed Ali Geelani said in a statement demanding unconditional release of all the political prisoners of Kashmir. “India has no legal, constitutional or moral justification of their continuous detention,” he said.