PDP slams Tariq Karra for quitting, says he strongly advocated alliance with BJP'

Srinagar: PDP hit out at its MP Tariq Hameed Karra, who resigned from the party as well as Lok Sabha on Thursday, saying he was the one who had advocated an alliance with the BJP, besides proposing the name of Mehbooba Mufti as the Chief Minister.

In a statement issued by the General Secretary of the party, Nazim-ud-din Bhat, after his resignation, the PDP said its alliance with BJP was not for government formation but to eliminate hostility between different regions of the state and also to remove the trust deficit between people of Kashmir and the rest of the country.

Karra quit the party, protesting against "brutal policies" of BJP at the centre and "complete surrender" of the state government before it.

Mr Bhat, a journalist-turned-politician, said it was unfortunate that Mr Karra has chosen to level unfounded allegations despite the fact that "he (Tariq Sahib) had strongly advocated alliance with BJP" and recalled that Mr Karra only had proposed the name of Ms Mufti as Leader of the Legislature Party and Chief Ministerial candidate.

When asked to react to PDP General Secretary's statement, Mr Karra said, "Nizam-ud-din Bhat is too small a fry to comment on such bigger issues. Let Mehbooba Mufti say what she has said and then I will respond."

The PDP leader also accused Mr Karra of not speaking even once in Parliament during his more than two years' tenure.

"Tariq Sahib was elected by the voters of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency on the mandate of the PDP to channelize their sentiments and take them to the highest forum of the democracy in the country -- the Parliament.

"But unfortunately Tariq Sahib instead choose not speak even once during his two-and-a-half years' tenure as Lok Sabha member in Parliament," he observed.

He said Mr Karra's engagement with different political parties of the country would have been more fruitful, eventful and dignified for the people of Kashmir rather than indulging into "rabble rousing at the local level".

Mr Bhat said the difference between this year's unrest and those of 2010 and 2008 is that it has remained confined to the Valley only this time while rest of the state remained peaceful.

"It is in Jammu that those who feel heat of the situation in Kashmir, be it students, patients, businessmen, are feeling dignified space," he said.