More trouble for Congress

PDP demands withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act

SRINAGAR: The future of the Congress-led coalition government in J&K hangs in balance after its main partner the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said it would not hesitate to let go of power for the sake of the people, if its demand of demilitarisation and withdrawing Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) are not met.

“We will prefer people rather than power if need arises,” Tariq Hamid Qarra, senior PDP leader and J&K law and finance minister told DNA. “The issue is close to our heart and we want it to be discussed in the cabinet. We are accountable before the people who have elected us,” he said.

The statement comes a day after PDP ministers boycotted an important cabinet meeting on Wednesday, which was chaired by the chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. An adamant PDP threatened to boycott future cabinet meetings also if the government fails to discuss their demands.

“Our request to convene a special cabinet meeting to discuss our demands fell on deaf ears. We requested that these demands be made a part of the meeting agenda, but that too was not heeded. So we decided to stay away from the cabinet. We will boycott future cabinet meetings if our demands are not met,” Qarra said.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti is already in Delhi to meet Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. “She will be discussing these issues with them. We want assurances that our demands will be met,” he said.

PDP also got support from the Left, who were for reduction of troops and withdrawal of AFSPA. “We demand that autonomy should be restored and troops be reduced in the state,” said Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, CPI(M) state secretary.

The Congress reacted strongly to the PDP’s new set of demands. “Their boycott of cabinet meeting is sending a wrong signal to the people. They should mend their ways because we are open to discuss all issues,” said Abdul Gain Vakil, senior vice-president J&K Pradesh Congress Committee.

On PDP’s demands, he said the situation is not rife for sending forces back to the barracks. “Forces are here to protect people against militants. If there is no militancy, the forces will automatically go to the barracks. We do not think that time has come to send the forces back particularly when militant camps across the LoC are intact,” said Vakil.

PDP has 17 MLAs in the 87 member house. It is the second largest partner after Congress in the government. If they pull out the Congress will find it difficult to garner support to save its government.