india

Updated: Jan 10, 2020 02:52 IST

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday expelled its eight leaders, including those who met a group of foreign diplomats in Srinagar.

The diplomats interacted with security officials, politicians and civil society representatives in Srinagar as part of the first such government-organised visit since the Constitution’s Article 370 was nullified to end Jammu and special status in August and the state was split into two Union territories.

Mufti and two other former chief ministers, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, were detained along with hundreds of others to prevent protests against the change in the region’s constitutional status. An information blackout and a lockdown were also imposed. Most of the restrictions have since been eased but top politicians including the three former chief ministers remain under detention.

A PDP statement cited the Centre’s “unilateral move” in August and said it “violated the will and hurt the sentiments of people”. It added it has come to the party’s attention that “certain party leaders have been part of parleys which go against the interest of the state, official position and the core beliefs of the party”. The statement said the party’s disciplinary committee thus recommended the expulsion of Dilawar Mir, Rafi Ahmad Mir, Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Qamar Hussain, Raja Manzoor, Javeed Baig, Abdul Majeed Padder, and Abdul Rahim Rather.

Manhas, Baig, Padder and Rafi Ahmad Miramong them met the diplomats.

The eight on Tuesday met Lieutenant Governor G C Marmu amid speculation that mostly former PDP legislators were planning to form a new party. The PDP expelled Rajya Sabha member Nazir Ahmad Laway after he participated in Murmu’s oath-taking ceremony in October.

Congress leaders Shoaib Lone and Hilal Shah also met the diplomats even as their party slammed the Centre for disallowing Indian lawmakers from visiting Kashmir while offering the diplomats “a guided tour”. “They will meet a selected few people there,” said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. He said their objection is not related to the visit. “But our objection is that when our own political leaders, our own members of Parliament are not allowed to visit J&K, they are barred, then what purpose the visit of these ambassadors would serve.”

He added leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad were forced to move the Supreme Court to seek permission to visit Jammu and Kashmir when they were prevented from going there.

State Congress leader G N Monga said the diplomats were not free to meet common Kashmiris but were sponsored to meet sponsored people. “The delegation is not free. They should go to everybody. Let them meet caged leaders. They should go to Lal Chowk [Srinagar’s city square] and talk to shopkeepers, and meet common citizens to know what they want.”

Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference chief Khalida Shah said there was no point in foreign envoys visiting Kashmir on state-sponsored visits. “The tragedy is that these envoys are to meet with handpicked politicians, civil society members, traders, panchayat members who normally are unable to visit their homes.”

She said nothing is normal in Kashmir and that there is a total clampdown on freedom of speech, movement, and basic liberties.

Anil Gupta of Bhartiya Janata Party termed the expulsion as an internal matter of the PDP but said that the leader wanted change.

“What had happened can’t be changed. The meeting of PDP leaders with envoys is a welcome step and also the change of heart about the current situation in J&K,” Gupta said.



