BJP’s Assembly poll victories due to Centre’s money power, agencies, EC, media: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, Dec 5 (PTI) The BJP’s victory in the Assembly polls in three states is not the party’s win, but due to the Centre’s money power, agencies, “its Election Commission and media”, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said here on Tuesday.

She claimed that had the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) come to the contest alone, “it would not have won even a single seat”.

“This is not the BJP’s victory, this is the win of the country’s government, its agencies, its money power, its Election Commission, its media,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister told reporters on the sidelines of a party function.

Asked about the Centre’s reservation bill for Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament, she alleged that all such exercises are “illegal”.

“All of this is illegal because the revocation of Article 370 (of the Constitution) was done in an illegal manner and the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court. When something is sub-judice, how can they make a law on it? This is illegal, they are trampling the Constitution, Parliament and the Supreme Court. They are trampling every institution of the country,” Mufti said.

Asked if there are any differences between the members of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), she said people should not take some minor taunts seriously.

“We are together, Farooq (Abdullah), me and others, and we will remain together god willing,” the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief said.

Asked if the party function was in preparation for the Assembly election, Mufti said she wants to provide some solace to the people “who are feeling suffocated”.

“This is not about elections. We do not know when the election will take place. We are going to people to know about their difficulties and give them solace. People are disappointed, they feel crippled, suffocated, they cannot talk, arrests are going on and to bring them out of this, we are going to them,” she added.