Jammu & Kashmir
Mehbooba Mufti submits resignation to Governor as BJP pulls out of alliance
Srinagar: Mehbooba Mufti has submitted her resignation to the Governor soon after Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) pulled from the ruling alliance with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), senior leader of the party and cabinet minister, Nayeem Akhtar said.
@MehboobaMufti has submitted her resignation to the governor after @BJP4India pulled out of alliance.
— Naeem Akhtar (@shangpal) June 19, 2018
The BJP has pulled out from the alliance in Jammu and Kashmir with People’s Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir. With the development, the state has come under President’s rule.
The BJP had 25 lawmakers and the PDP had 28 in the state assembly, where the majority mark is 45.
ALSO READ: BREAKING: PDP-BJP alliance ends: Mehbooba failed to handle the situation in the valley, says Madhav
The decision to withdraw support came after BJP president Amit Shah met with the party’s lawmakers from Jammu and Kashmir in Delhi. The rift between the two parties widened following the Government of India’s decision to resume anti-terror operations in the state after Ramzan.
The BJP has blamed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for the break up.
Ram Madhav, the National BJP President said, ” Mehbooba failed to handle the situation in the valley. We have taken a decision, it is untenable for BJP to continue in alliance with PDP in Jammu & Kashmir, hence we are withdrawing, ” he said.
Ram Mahhav, the National President of the BJP while announcing the end of his party’s alliance with the PDP said that after the assassination of veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari , there was no question of suspending operations against militants.
“After the killing of Shujaat Bukhari in broad daylight in Srinagar, there was no question of suspending anti-terror operations. The state must be put under Governor’s rule. Once situation is restored to normalcy, then we can take the political process forward, “said Madhav.
Bukhari was assassinated on June 14 by unidentified gunmen outside his office in Srinagar, a day before Eid and few minutes before Iftaar (breaking of Fast during Ramzan). Bukhari succumbed to his injuries and was declared brought dead at the hospital.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein during his opening statement of the 38th session of the Human Rights Council on Monday said that he was deeply saddened by the assassination of veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari.
ALSO READ: No question of suspending anti-terror operations after Bukhari’s killing, says Ram Madhav
While calling him a human rights defender, Hussein said, “I am tremendously saddened by the assassination last week of Shujaat Bukhari, a courageous human rights defender actively working for peace, including through his participation in the Track Two diplomacy seeking to help both India and Pakistan put an end to the violence.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists while strongly condemned the killing of the editor said that Indian authorities must bring killers of Bukhari to justice.
Recently, two major world bodies of editors and publishers have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying their “grave concern” over Shujaat Bukhari’s assassination and sought investigations in the case.
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum are major media associations. WAN-IFRA represents 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in over 120 countries, with an aim to safeguard the rights of journalists.
“We ask that you take all necessary steps to ensure that local and national authorities carry out a quick and thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators – and masterminds – to justice,” the letter reads.
