PTI photo

JAMMU: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday she had suffered by joining hands with BJP under the current Narendra Modi government and referred, in comparison, to the tenure of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led Central government as “golden times” even though her party, PDP, was then in alliance with Congress in the state.

Earlier, on July 28, in her first public speech in Srinagar after the break-up of the PDP-BJP alliance, Mehbooba had said her decision to ally with BJP was akin to “drinking poison”.

Addressing party workers and supporters at Peoples Democratic Party’s 19th foundation day celebrations, Mehbooba spoke about the struggles and difficulties she had to encounter as CM while leading a coalition government with the BJP in J&K.

Recalling the past when, Mehbooba said, the state had prospered under the patronage of the Vajpayee-led Central government despite the fact that the PDP-Congress were in alliance in the state, she added, “Mufti Sahib (Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, her father) agreed to join hands with BJP again (in 2015) because we had a good understanding during Vajpayeeji’s regime.”

“But this time, it was a difficult decision, she said, adding, “Forming an alliance with BJP was like drinking poison. I suffered during the two years and two months of the alliance.”

“Mufti Sahib and his time in government was a golden time for the state. The state developed and prospered during that time. Militant activities were in control and there was peace in the state, the ceasefire was observed on the border while roads, colleges and universities were constructed,” she said, adding, “The moment the alliance ended and the government changed, all the work for peace came undone.”

Talking about the growth of her party, Mehbooba said, “There was a clear vision in the mind of Mufti Sahib. He had no confusion about the country and state.”

“I did everything I could in the two years I had. I did not discriminate between Jammu and Kashmir. We opened the same number of colleges for both. There was no corruption in government jobs.”

“I fought on two fronts, one in Kashmir and the other in New Delhi, for the Agenda of Alliance,” Mehbooba said in her address.

Commenting on the Kathua rape case, she said, “A rapist has no religion. The people who gave it communal colour do not remember the valour of the brave Dogra community.”

“I never discriminated against any region and never differentiated between Kashmir and Jammu,” the former CM said.

On Article 370, Mehbooba said it cannot be revoked from Jammu & Kashmir as it acts as a bridge between India and the state. “If anybody tries to revoke Article 370/35-A, he will be vanquished,” she asserted.

