The Mehbooba Mufti-led government in Kashmir suffered a major setback on Thursday, when one of the founding members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, Tariq Hameed Karra resigned from the Parliament and party, protesting against “wanton killings and people being treated worse than that under Nazi rule.”
“For the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, people in Kashmir could not offer Eid prayers. Certain shrines and grand mosque were even locked. My conscience cannot take it any longer… As a mark of protest and on moral grounds against the brutal policies of BJP at the Centre and the state government’s sell out and surrender before them, I have decided to disassociate myself from primary membership of PDP and membership of Parliament to which I was elected from Srinagar parliamentary constituency,” Karra told media.
Karra also said that MLAs, MPs and MLCs should decide whether “they would like to side with helpless people or let this bloodshed continue to be perpetrated by the RSS-driven BJP and facilitated by PDP.”
“I would tell the aforementioned public representatives that we are placed at a very critical juncture and that remaining silent would be equivalent to facilitate the fascist forces for more death, destruction and decimation of our distinct identity,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government played down the issue, saying Karra’s resignation would not have any impact on the party. “PDP is a larger philosophy and the entire party is behind Mehbooba Mufti,” said Suhail Bukhari, media consultant of J&K government.