Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday cautioned the Centre against tinkering with the state's special status under Article 370, saying "it is a bridge between the state and Union", and any attempt to break it will be disastrous.
"Stop racking up Article 370. It is that which joins J&K with India. It is a pull between the state and Union. If you break it, you will be finished," Mehbooba said while addressing a rally in Jammu to mark the 19th foundation day of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
She also reached out to the people in Jammu by rejecting BJP's charges of discrimination and clarifying that rapists do not have any religion.
"I never discriminated between Jammu and Kashmir. I never considered them two separate entities. I gave equal money to Kathua and Anantnag. I gave same money to Samba and Rajouri... People of RS Pora (which is in the Jammu region) elected my father and how can I discriminate against them?," she said.
Describing the Kathua rape and murder as heart wrenching, Mehbooba lashed out at those people who tried to divide the society on communal lines over this issue.
"Rassana was a heart-wrenching incident. Those who want to make it a Hindu-Muslim issue, I want to remind them that when a Maharaja of some other state passed a lewd remarks against a girl in the state, the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir banned his entry into the state. Rapists have no religion. They are only rapists and nothing else," she said.
The PDP chief said she did not compromise during the two-years of her rule and tried to implement the agenda of alliance in order to take the state out of the current mess.
"Mufti sahab joined hands with the BJP with a hope that the situation will improve. But it did not improve. Joining hands with the BJP was a difficult decision. Situation improved when cease operation call was announced. Vajpayeeji used to say you can change friends, but not neighbours," she said.
Mehbooba also noted that she did not have regrets of losing power. "We did not join the alliance for power, but to fulfil the objective. We have to stop the bloodshed here," she said.
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