Kashmir separatists accuse Mehbooba, Farooq Abdullah of ‘slave mentality’

“The borders (of Jammu and Kashmir) are yet to be determined and no individual has the mandate to speak anything against the wishes and aspirations of people of Kashmir,” Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar said referring to the statement of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti. ” We can understand the compulsions of Mehbooba ji. She wants to carry forward the mission of family rule and wants to become the chief minister”.

Mufti on Saturday had said that the ” change of borders or exchange of territory is not the solution and there is no alternative to (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee’s reconciliation policy”. A day earlier, National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah too had said that India and Pakistan can’t wrest Kashmir from each other’s control. Abdullah said the Kashmir issue can be resolved if both India and Pakistan give autonomy to Kashmir controlled by then and the borders are made irrelevant by showing free travel and trade across it.

Hurriyat said that Mehbooba Mufti’s statement is a departure from PDP’s self-rule and that the party had not been completely exposed before the people.

“To come in power PDP created the noise of self-rule and advocated resolution of Kashmir in accordance with wishes and aspirations of people,” Hurriyat said. “But now both father (Mufti) and daughter (Mehbooba) have shown their actual face”.

Pro-independent Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik termed the statements of Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah as “slave mentality”.

“Ironically two seemingly contradictory minds have spoken in one voice against the freedom of Jammu and Kashmir,” Malik said. “Actually it is not their own statement. Both of them are following the dictation of their masters in Delhi who want to change the discourse on Kashmir”.