Flag Row: 3 Top PDP Leaders Resign, Claim Mufti ‘Hurt Sentiments’

“Our relationship with the flag of this country is not independent of this (J&K’s) flag,” Mufti had said.

File image of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

(File photo: PTI)

Alleging that former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had “hurt patriotic sentiments”, three top PDP leaders, on Monday, 26 October, quit the party.

In a resignation letter addressed to Mufti, PDP leaders TS Bajwa, Ved Mahajan and Hussain A Waffa alleged that they were “feeling quite uncomfortable over some of her actions and undesirable utterances, especially which hurt patriotic sentiments.”

This development comes days after Mufti. who was recently released from 14 months of detention since the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, said that she will not contest elections or unfurl the Tricolour until Jammu and Kashmir gets its erstwhile state flag again.

On Friday, Mufti had said: “Our relationship with the flag of this country is not independent of this flag (Jammu and Kashmir's flag). When this flag comes in our hand, we will raise that flag too.”

MORE DETAILS

In the resignation letter, the three leaders reminisced over Mehbooba’s father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s broader objective beyond the formation of the the people’s Democratic Party and wrote about the developments since his demise. They further alleged:

“Instead of overcoming the challenges from within and outside by a process of broader consultations and trust, some elements within the party started pulling the party and leadership in a particular direction, thus deviating from the basic principles, agenda and philosophy, making it further difficult to face the saner voices in the society.”

According to ANI, speaking about his resignation, PDP leader Ved Mahajan said:

"Our national flag is our pride. We have been hurt by her statement. Today, we have shown the people of Jammu and Kashmir that we are secular. There are many party leaders and workers who may resign."

Meanwhile, speaking to ANI, PDP leader Hussain A Waffa said, “The nation and the national flag comes first, after that comes the States and the political parties. The national flag is our identity.”

MEANWHILE

Three people, who said they were BJP workers, were detained on Monday at the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, for trying to hoist a Tricolour at a historically significant clock tower, reported PTI, citing officials.

The trio reportedly raised slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and for the BJP, and tried to hoist the Tricolour at the clock tower.

Before they were detained by the police, one of them said: “Tell this to Mehbooba Mufti, that I will hoist the flag in every part of Kashmir.”

BJP workers also reportedly gathered outside the PDP office in Jammu to hoist the Tricolour over the Jammu and Kashmir’s state flag, according to Hindustan Times.

BJP in Jammu and Kashmir also led a "tiranga (flag) march" on Monday to mark J&K's "Accession Day" and in protest to Mufti’s remark.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times and ANI)