PDP leaders seek fresh permission to meet detained party chief Mufti

JAMMU: The Peoples Democratic Party leadership in Jammu on Monday sought a fresh permission from the governor administration to meet detained party president Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar, a party leader said.

The governor administration had earlier given permission to a delegation of the PDP

leaders to meet the former chief minister but the party deferred the proposed visit following serious differences within its camp over the visit.

"Senior PDP leaders met and decided to seek a fresh permission from the concerned authorities to meet the party president," senior party functionary and former legislator Ved Mahajan said.

Accordingly, he said, a letter was sent to the deputy commissioner, Srinagar, to seek his permission for a deputation of Jammu-based leaders, including former legislators, to visit Mufti on October 30. Mufti, along with other prominent mainstream leaders in the Valley, have been under detention since August 5 when the Centre abrogated Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories.

Mahajan, who was authorised to seek the formal permission from the authorities, said the composition of the delegation would be decided only after the permission is granted.

On October 6, the PDP announced that it had got permission from Governor Satya Pal Malik to visit Mufti, but within hours deferred the visit after several senior leaders came out in open and chal

lenged the authority of those who had sought the permission from the administration at that time. They attacked Mahajan, who was in the forefront at that time as well, for "sidelining" them while taking such an important decision.

They also accused Mahajan and others of following the footsteps of the National Conference, a delegation of which had visited Srinagar and met detained party president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah on the same day -- October 6.