There's no stone pelting, militancy also gone down: Mehbooba Mufti

But why raids are being conducted and people being thrown out of jobs in the name of militancy, asks PDP chief.

- BADAR BASHIR

With the collapse of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD)—an alliance of the various parties in Jammu and Kashmir against the BJP—Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is now seen to be walking the tightrope as an I.N.D.I.A. partner of the Congress at the national level, but as a standalone party contesting against the Abdullahs’ National Conference and the Congress in Kashmir. Although Congress will be backing the NC in Kashmir on all seats, yet PDP is said to be giving unconditional support to Congress in Jammu, in an apparent effort to stop the saffron camp there. The ex-Chief Minister of Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti spoke with The Sunday Guardian. Excerpts:

Q: You said Farooq Abdullah did not consider you for discussions on seat sharing. Now that they have declared no alliance with PDP, is it because NC doesn’t want PDP to establish itself on a bigger platform or are there other reasons?