Parties in Valley resent ban on JKLF

Barring the BJP and likeminded groups, various political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have termed the Centre’s decision to ban pro-independence JKLF as ill-conceived and cautioned that it may only aggravate the ground situation in the State.

The Union home ministry on Friday declared the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) led by Muhammad Yasin Malik an “unlawful association” under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. It said that the government took the decision “in its pursuit of strong action against militancy”.

However, former chief minister and president of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti sought to remind the Centre that the JKLF has renounced violence many years ago and that the previous NDA government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had roped in its leader for peace talks. She accused the government at the Centre of turning Kashmir into an open air prison.

She tweeted, “Yasin Malik renounced violence as a way of resolving J&K issue a long time ago. He was treated as a stakeholder in a dialogue initiated by then PM Vajpayee ji. What will a ban on his organisation achieve? Detrimental steps like these will only turn Kashmir into an open air prison”.

Later while speaking to reporters here, she said that democracy is the battle of ideas and banning JKLF is a bad idea. “It wants a political space and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem. By banning it, you are but pushing the people to the wall,” she said. She accused the BJP government of making the Kashmir and its people a scapegoat.