Modi-Mehbooba meet called off

Government formation in Jammu and Kashmir has run into rough weather as the scheduled meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti was “called off without any reason” in New Delhi on Friday.

Sources said demand for fresh guarantees on the “constitutional integrity” of J&K may have soured the relationship between the alliance partners.

The meeting with Mr. Modi was to be a follow-up to the “positive” meet of Ms. Mufti and BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi, which lasted an hour.

Earlier the Army had expressed willingness to relocate troops in the State, a key condition laid down by Ms. Mufti for government formation.
Sources said the spade work for the meetings was done by BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and PDP leader Haseeb Drabu, who is camping in New Delhi.

Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Mr. Madhav described the talks with the PDP “as fruitful as it was two months ago.”

“There can be no government on any fresh conditions. A government [in J&K] has to be in place to take up issues with the Centre for any progress. Unfortunately, sitting Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed died during the course of the ongoing coalition government. Nothing has changed otherwise,” said Mr. Madhav.

Reacting to Mr. Madhav’s remarks, PDP leader Nayeem Akhtar told The Hindu that the ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ is “a sacred document to the PDP.”

“There is a feeling that the Agenda is perhaps being treated just as a piece of paper or an arrangement of power-sharing. We want to dispel that notion [before forming the government],” said Mr. Akhtar.

Land to be handed over

In another development, at his meeting with Governor N.N. Vohra, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, expressed willingness to relocate troops from the areas identified by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed last year.

A Raj Bhavan spokesman said the Army would hand over 16.30 acres near the Jammu University, the 212-acre Tatoo Grounds in Srinagar, the 456.60-acre high grounds in Anantnag and lower land of Khurba Thang in Kargil to the civilian administration.

March 31 is the deadline for the handover.

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PDP asks Mehbooba to decide

A four-hour-long meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the first since the demise of PDP patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, on Sunday witnessed no opposition to the alliance with the BJP and ended with a pledge “to carry forward the late Mufti’s political vision on J&K and Pakistan initiatives.”

Setting neither timeline nor preconditions for continuation of the PDP-BJP government in the State, PDP legislator Nayeem Akhtar said, “Some progress has been made on the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ during the Mufti’s time and much more need to be achieved…Today’s meeting authorised PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to take the final call on government formation.”

“No condition [was set] but good faith implementation of the agenda remains there,” he added.

The meeting was attended by all senior PDP leaders, including MPs Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Tariq Hameed Karra, critical of the coalition’s functioning in the past.

Sources said PDP leaders spoke about their personal experiences with the Mufti, who passed away on January 7. Besides, a pledge was made “to take forward the late Mufti’s political vision on Kashmir forward.”

With the BJP top brass in New Delhi maintaining a meaningful silence and distance from Ms. Mufti after the recent PDP statements critical of the lack of progress on the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ and treatment of the late Mufti, the two coalition partners seem to be waiting for the other to blink first.

“On the government formation, the situation remains hazy and unclear,” said a top Peoples Democratic Party leader on condition of anonymity.

However, PDP legislator Nayeem Akhtar was all praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to sustain talks with Pakistan and claimed “it was Mr. Mufti’s vision to see India and Pakistan talking and being friends.”

“Mr. Modi’s Pakistan visit was a moment of glory for Mufti sahib on the death bed. He [Mufti] believed Kashmir remained prime victim of unfriendly relations between India and Pakistan. And Mr. Modi showed maturity for continuation of talks with Pakistan despite the Pathankot attack. This is a great tribute to him.” Mr. Akhtar described the common minimum programme, ‘Agenda for Alliance’ “a sacrosanct document” and “initiatives on Pakistan a must” for a peaceful Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the State BJP was hopeful about continuation of the coalition government. “Our alliance with the PDP is for six years. It is just that Mufti sahib is not among us. We are waiting for the PDP’s official response and will respond accordingly,” said senior BJP leader Nirmal Singh.

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