Mufti stole our agenda, says Hurriyat

The Hurriyat doves, who held talks with the Centre, are in a catch-22 situation now

SRINAGAR: Marginalised Hurriyat Conference is finding it difficult to counter the onslaught of PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who, they allege, has hijacked their agenda to stay afloat in Kashmir.

Demilitarisation and withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act has been on the top of separatist agenda but it is Mufti who is championing the cause with vigour.

And the Hurriyat doves, who held three rounds of talks with the Centre, are in a catch-22 situation, finding their slogans becoming a mantra of the PDP, an important ally of the Congress in the ruling coalition.

"It is an election stunt of Mufti and nothing else. Let him explain to the masses why he did not withdraw forces when he was the chief minister. Instead, he increased the number of troops and also enforced black laws like Public Safety Act to put people behind bars," said Moulana Mohammad Abbaas Ansari, former chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference.

Ansari said they had called for troop withdrawal as a gesture of goodwill so that people could feel the change on ground which will automatically set the tone for resolution of the Kashmir issue.

"There is a difference between our demand and Mufti's proposal. We demand troop withdrawal for the welfare of the people, while Mufti is trying to score political points. He is trying to fool masses for vested political interests," he said.