Accusing Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of failing to control the situation in Kashmir, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday demanded that she resign from her post.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also asserted that borders between India and Pakistan cannot be redrawn. Noting that dialogue is the only solution, he said India should take initiative in this regard as it is a strong country.
“We have to leave animosity and the only solution is that the part of Kashmir which is with India will remain with India and that with Pakistan will remain with them,” he said addressing party’s women workers.
“I am very sorry that this lady (chief minister) is not effectively running the state and it is better that she steps down,” Farooq later told reporters on the sidelines of a party function in Jammu on Tuesday.
Farooq’s son Omar Abdullah also hit out at Mehbooba alleging that she had ceded all powers to hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The former chief minister was referring to the meeting at Geelani’s Hyderpora residence where separatist leaders and other “stakeholders” are meeting to chalk out future course of action on the ongoing agitation in Kashmir.
Farooq raised the issue of burning of schools. “She says, I will give the names. Where are those names, we would like to know who are the ones who are burning these schools.
“Who is going to construct them again? Prime Minister has given a thousands of crores, they will also be burnt down,” he said.
Farooq alleged that the chief minister has taken no measure to improve the situation in the Valley which was “extemely bad” and voiced hope that “New Delhi will wake up”.
“She has completely failed, the situation in the Valley is extremely bad and I hope in Delhi they will wake up and start thinking of how do we get the Valley back to normal and it is very important because schools are being burnt, there is a definite scheme under which it is being done,” he said.