Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said yesterday that he stands by his statement on violence-free polls in the state.
Reacting to the controversy about his comment, he said, “I’ve said what I’ve said and I stand by that. The media is making a mountain out of a molehill.”
The 79-year-old, on Sunday, credited Pakistan and Kashmiri separatist leaders for the successful elections in the disputed Himalayan state.
“I want to say on record and I have told this to the prime minister, that we must credit the Hurriyat, Pakistan and militant outfits for the conduct of assembly elections in the state,” Indian media outlets reported.
Peoples Democratic Party president and Sayeed’s daughter, Mehbooba Mufti yesterday said that she stood by her father’s remarks. Defending the remarks, she told NDTV in an exclusive interview, “We need to build stakes for Pakistan and Hurriyat in our peace process. If separatists and militants are stepping back from violence we should encourage them.”
The BJP and Sayeed’s party, both ideological opposites, came together to form government in the valley after difficult negotiations to bridge differences that have divided them for decades.
The government in New Delhi dissociated itself from the controversial remarks of its newest ally.
Also read: India’s ruling Hindu party to form coalition in Kashmir
