Srinagar, June 4: Senior Apni Party leader and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir on Thursday criticized the National Conference’s decision to independently launch a protest in New Delhi for restoration of statehood, saying the ruling party should have taken all political stakeholders on board to present a united front before the Centre.
Reacting to National Conference leader Tanvir Sadiq’s announcement that the party would stage a protest in Delhi during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, Mir told Kashmir News Trust that a joint political campaign would have carried greater weight than a party-specific initiative.
“The National Conference should have taken other political parties on board so that a joint protest could be held in New Delhi. Unfortunately, NC has chosen a different path,” Mir said.
He alleged that his party had already initiated efforts to build consensus among political groups on the issue of statehood and had appealed to parties across Jammu and Kashmir to come together on a common platform.
Mir claimed that instead of strengthening that effort, the National Conference had undermined attempts to create a broader political movement.
“We made a fervent appeal from Jammu to all political parties and the people to join hands for restoration of statehood. What NC has done amounts to sabotaging those efforts,” he said.
Referring to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Mir said that despite political differences, she had also advocated a coordinated approach and had written to the National Conference seeking a joint platform on the issue.
“We have disagreements with Mehbooba Mufti, but she too called for a united front. This is another matter whether she responded to our appeals or not,” he said.
Ghulam Hasan Mir argued that the statehood issue transcends party lines and requires participation from all political formations, irrespective of their electoral strength.
“Some parties may be smaller in stature, but they have their own significance and support base. Ignoring them and not taking them on board only complicates the situation instead of helping resolve it,” Mir said.
He further alleged that the National Conference was more interested in political positioning than building consensus on issues affecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir. [KNT]
