New Delhi: Three founding members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), including former Rajya Sabha MP T.S. Bajwa, on Monday resigned from the party, saying they were feeling “uncomfortable and suffocated” due to party chief Mehbooba Mufti’s “undesirable utterances”, especially those which “hurt patriotic sentiments”.
The resignations came after Mehbooba said on Friday that she would not hold the tricolour till Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, including its separate state flag, was restored. “When this flag of ours is restored, we will raise that flag [the tricolour] also. But we will not raise any other flag till the time our flag, which was robbed from us, is back in our hand,” Mehbooba had said.
In their two-page letter to Mufti, the three – Bajwa, former MLC Ved Mahajan and former state secretary Hussain Ali Wafa – said they were “feeling quite uncomfortable over some of your (party chief) actions and undesirable utterances, especially which hurt the patriotic sentiments”.
The leaders said that despite several undesirable developments and steps “we stood like a rock with the party and the leadership inspite of the situation in front of the party”.
Instead of overcoming the challenges from within and outside by a process of broader consultation and trust, some elements within the party started pulling the PDP and its leadership in a particular direction, deviating from the basic principle, agenda and philosophy, making it further difficult to face the saner voices in the society, they said.
“Some of the actions and utterances are unpardonable and unforgettable by the people for the party to emerge out and move in a direction of its fundamental approach and identity, besides regaining its image as a political alternative to the people. In view of this, we feel uncomfortable and suffocated in the party, forcing us to take a difficult decision of leaving the party,” the three said in a common resignation letter.
They also referred to the formation of the PDP, saying it was to provide an alternative voice for every region of the erstwhile state and also to channelise dissent, especially among the youth, and prevent them from falling in the trap of “anti-India elements” in adopting the path of destruction in the absence of any credible platform.
The three leaders referred to earlier coalitions with the Congress which had been able to restore peace and harmony and ensure equitable political share.
Also read: J&K Political Parties Form Alliance to Fight ‘Unconstitutional’ Removal of Special Status
The PDP also came for another “bigger challenge” in 2014 when its late president Mufti Mohammed Sayeed took a “difficult decision” of joining hands with the ideologically opposite BJP.
“Although he was aware of the difficulties of such a decision, he attempted to convert the challenge into new opportunities in furtherance of his vision for a better future and more harmonious relationship between the people of the state within the Indian union.”
However, the experiment did not work on expected lines and due to the untimely death of Sayeed the entire process was derailed, they said.
BJP leaders in the region, meanwhile, termed Mehbooba’s speech to be “seditious” and said that she should be imprisoned for them.
“I request Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to take cognisance of seditious remarks of Mehbooba Mufti, book her for the seditious act and put her behind bars,” Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina told reporters.
“We will sacrifice every drop of our blood for our flag, country and motherland. J&K is an integral part of our country, so only one flag can be hoisted in J&K and that is the national flag,” he added.
(With PTI inputs)