JAMMU: Mufti Mohammed Sayed, former Union Home Minister and senior Janata’ Dal leader, has alleged that the mishandling of the Jammu and Kashmir issue by the Center has famished the image of the country internationally, Talking to media persons here along with Mr, Ram Bilas Paswan, another Janata Dal leader, Mr. Sayeed charged that the contradictory stand taken by the Election Commission has thoroughly exposed the Center’s policy on the troubled state.

He said that all the political parties at the Center and at the state level should have been taken into confidence before embarking upon an election exercise in J&K. Moreover, action of Hurriyat Conference leaders who are in favor of a negotiated settlement along with the National Conference leaders should have been involved to give credibility to the elections. Mr. Sayeed said that people in Kashmir are fed up with the violence and ‘want normalcy and they should be involved in the election process.

He further said that the Congress party’s effort to play the Kashmir card in the coming general elections has flopped miserably. On the issue of a political package for the state, he said that an economic Package was more important than Political package.

He said that he did not know why the Prime Minister, Mr .P .V. Narasimha Rao was in a great hurry to get the elections held in J&K by December 15, “He was under no pressure to hold elections but it was intriguing as to why he was in such a tearing hurry,” he said.

He apprehended that perhaps the date of December 15, 1995 had been ‘suggested by some astrologers there ‘was no other reason for taking such a step. Mr. Ram Bilas Paswan said that the Janata Dal Samaj wadhi Party alliance ‘would be a turning point in the Indian politics. He hoped that many regional parties like the AIADMK, the Akali Dal and the Assam Gana Parishad ‘would join the National Front.

He was optimistic that the National Front Left Front combine would win at Least 300 seals in the coming general elections. He demanded that the elections should be held in February.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 24, 1995