India | Updated Sep 01, 2008 at 09:01am IST

Amarnath row: Mehbooba rejects deal | Advani satisfied

Raheel KhursheedRaheel Khursheed, CNN-IBN

Srinagar/Jammu: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the agreement between a government panel and an alliance of Hindu groups to solve the Amarnath land row.

“A decision is being imposed at gunpoint. The PDP and the people of Kashmir are not against finding a solution to the problem but we are against a unilateral decision being imposed on us. And this is what is being done,” said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday.

“There is a martial law situation in Kashmir; there is shoot at sight orders. What is the sanctity of an order which you have to impose under the barrel of a gun. A unilateral decision has been taken by Delhi and the Amarnath Shrine Board without taking the opinion of the people of Kashmir,” she told CNN-IBN Correspondent Raheel Khursheed.

“People have seen time and again that New Delhi succumbs to communal forces and passes unilateral orders on Kashmir. Kashmiris feel totally alienated and think the government in Delhi is ready to bend backwards to satisfy the communal forces.”

Kashmiris feel hurt and the PDP cannot be part of any agreement which has been not discussed with them, she said. Mehbooba criticised National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah for supporting the agreement and called his statement “unfortunate”.

“The sentiment of the majority community in Kashmir has been hurt,” she said.

The over two-month long agitation in the Jammu region over the Amarnath land row was suspended on Sunday after a government panel and an alliance of Hindu groups reached an agreement.

The agreement gives exclusive rights to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) to use 40 hectares of forestland at Baltal in north Kashmir for three months. The time period includes two months of the Amaranth Yatra (pilgrimage) and another month for setting up and removing pre-fabricated shelters.

Abdullah welcomed the agreement and said it would help in bringing peace to the state. “I think it's (the agreement) a very good sign. The hatred that was developing among communities has come to and end. I hope that people of Jammu and Kashmir will now leave in happiness,” he said.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)

Comments (43)

All comments will be published after moderation

Trending Searches

#Narendra Modi #Tobacco #Hansie Cronje #Frank Lampard #Naveen Patnaik #Air India #Indian Railways #Essar Group #Bill Gates #Narendra Modi #Naveen Patnaik #Nitin Gadkari #Raj Thackeray #Jagan #Bharat Bandh #UDF #Manmohan Singh #Andhra Pradesh