Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Minister Altaf Bukhari on Monday said his party was “facing public rage as promises made in the Agenda of Alliance (AoA) remain unmet”.
Mr. Bukhari also took exception to the Central government’s refusal to hold talks with the Hurriyat Conference and Pakistan.
“We went to the people with AoA, which holds a crucial promise to hold talks with all stakeholders, including the Hurriyat. We promised to talk to Pakistan. People are eager if not anxious to see talks happening soon,” Mr. Bukhari told The Hindu in an interview.
‘Need dialogue’
On Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Ram Madhav’s stand on dialogue with separatists, Mr. Bukhari said: “We are not demanding something new. The BJP’s priority seems to be development. However, development will not happen when there is no peace. For peace, we have to hold dialogue,” said Mr. Bukhari.
He refused to talk about the impact of the non-implementation of AoA on the PDP-BJP alliance. “I am not going to say anything that is for or against the alliance. I am giving voice to the predominant aspiration of the people,” he added.
Growing unrest
Mr. Bukhari said Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti “does not live in a glass castle and is fully aware of the situation and the aspirations on the ground.”
Sources said there is growing unrest within PDP ranks “with many seeking a final call on the coalition.”
Sources said Mr. Madhav’s meeting with Ms. Mufti in Srinagar had failed “to draw a joint strategy to tackle the growing unrest in the Kashmir Valley,” with the BJP hardening its position on Pakistan and the Hurriyat.
“There is no military solution to Kashmir. Now or later, talks are the only way out,” Mr. Bukhari said.
The Minister said Kashmir was “essentially a political problem”.
“I wonder why our Prime Minister [Narendra Modi], with a historic public mandate, is shying away from his responsibility by not carrying forward the legacy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and a former Prime Minister who said ‘sky is the limit’ on the issue of Kashmir,” he added.
According to Mr. Bukhari, the perception is that the central government is lackadaisical towards Kashmir and that “needs to be changed on the ground.”
