Masarat Alam arrest wasn't under any pressure: J-K CM Mufti says
The chief minister said the negative perception about Jammu and Kashmir in the rest of the country must be changed as it also affects the state's image as an ideal tourist destination.
On the opening of the biannual Darbar Move in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed made it clear that his government's top priority will be governance.
On the issue of Masarat Alam Bhat, Mufti said he did not arrest the separatist leader under any pressure from the Centre and added that the extreme positions taken by separatists were unacceptable and action as per law had been taken.
"We did not arrest him (Masarat Alam Bhat) under pressure. These were his deeds. There are rules. You have to accept certain norms," Mufti said while talking to reporters after he was accorded the guard of honour at the civil secretariat.
He also said the negative perception about Jammu and Kashmir in the rest of the country must be changed as it also affects the state's image as an ideal tourist destination. The practice of Darbar Move was started in 1872 by the then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja Gulab Singh.
In May, Darbar (civil secretariat) opens in Srinagar and closes in October, after which it shifts to Jammu where it opens on the first Monday of November. The government spends nearly Rs. 46 crore for shifting files and employees during each move.
"When I saw Masarat Alam on TV (in the rally), those positions are unacceptable," Mufti said, referring to Masarat's pro-Pakistan sloganeering in a rally at Hyderpora where Pakistani flags was raised. Masarat was arrested two days after the rally and booked under preventive detention law, Public Safety Act.
The PDP patron said governance would remain the first priority of his government as it has the challenge to rehabilitate the flood-affected people and rebuild infrastructure, which was devastated by last year's floods in the state.
Soon after Mufti took over as the CM, he had called for talks with Pakistan and separatists. He had also thanked the two for the peaceful Assembly elections in the state, evoking sharp response from the BJP.
The state government also created controversy over the release of Masarat, with the BJP distancing itself from Mufti's decisions. However, with Tuesday's statement, Mufti seems to be conveying to his allies that governance would be his preferred agenda.
Mufti further said a new recruitment policy has been announced by the government to speed up filling up of vacancies so that jobs were provided to the educated youth in a transparent and time-bound manner.
Mufti added that his government was working to make the system responsive by putting in place a single-window clearance system for ensuring timely administrative disposal.