Sidelined Hurriyat cash in on Delhi arrests

‘‘The only unfortunate thing is the timing. They had lost prominence in Kashmir and even the visiting foreign diplomats had recently focused more on the state government than them’’.

Mufti’s problem is, however, embedded in his government’s helplessness in pushing its political agenda — like initiation of dialogue between the Centre and the separatists and reconciliatory steps like release of detainees — forward. The reason is simple. It was this political agenda which helped Mufti rout the NC from its traditional bastion in Kashmir.

Mufti’s failure to pursue his political agenda along with steps to ensure accountable administration is believed to have its roots in the electoral compulsions of both the BJP-led coalition in Centre as well as Congress.

In principle, the national leadership is not averse to initiate a dialogue with separatists but such a measure will not fit in the BJP’s politics at a time when they have to face polls. The Congress too feels the heat of the elections. The reason behind the delay in the government’s reconciliatory measures is believed to be pressure from Congress leadership.

The sensational arrests and the subsequent embarrassment are set to push Hurriyat to take a hardline approach. In fact, Hurriyat Chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat today flatly denied any ‘‘direct or indirect’’ involvement of his conglomerate with the money that was recovered from the Muslim Khawateen Markaz chief Zamrooda Habib outside the Pakistan embassy.

He, however, said the conglomerate owns the Rs 2 lakh recovered from their Delhi office. ‘‘We had opened our Delhi office so that we could communicate with the people of India, intellectuals and politicians,’’ he said.

The arrests have come as a blessing in disguise for the separatists as an internal rift had surfaced for want of a concrete political strategy to counter Mufti. ‘‘The money factor is certainly an embarrassment but the arrests have got the flock together again,’’ a senior Hurriyat leader said.