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Time not right for J&K polls: M M Sayeed

Political noises about the forthcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are getting louder.

During his recent visit to the state, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee promised free and fair elections. But former home minister and People's Democratic Party chief Mufti Mohammed Syeed seems to disagree.

"The atmosphere in Kashmir is not conducive for elections. The incidents of violence have increased. Then we saw Abdul Gani Lone's assassination," he said on Monday.

Under the Farooq Abdullah government elections would not be free and fair, he said, adding that the chief minister would use various agencies to rig the polls.

"The Government of India and other political parties should ask Farooq to step down before the elections, to provide a level playing field to all those who want to contest," he told rediff.com

If the chief minister contests the elections after stepping down his party would also be vindicated, he said.

But on his chances of becoming the next chief minister of the state, Sayeed did not appear confident.

"We are consolidating our party base and hope our performance in terms of seats in the elections will improve," he said.

Associated with the Congress since the beginning of his political career, Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti launched the PDP before the assembly election in 1996. The party has only two members in the assembly.

Advocating the need for an "internal dialogue" with the militants and a dialogue at another level with Pakistan, Sayeed accused the Centre of having "double standards" regarding Kashmir.

"If the central government can have talks with the Naga militants in Paris, why cannot they talk to Kashmiri militants likewise. The prime minister cannot escape the reality of Kashmir. He has to do something to resolve the impasse," he told rediff.com

He added that various militants like expelled Hizbul Mujahideen commander Abdul Majid Dar wanted peace but there was "nobody from the Centre to receive them".

When asked about the tension along the borders, the former home minister said "war is not inevitable" and stressed on diplomatic options.

Sayeed was critical of the economic package that the prime minister announced during his visit to the state last week. "The economic package was a hoax. It talked about the existing packages and hardly had anything for the valley," he said.

He maintained that the people of Kashmir were expecting a political breakthrough during Vajpayee's visit, but "their hopes were belied".

"Vajpayee had nothing to offer. It maybe by design or strategy but the prime minister did not address the problems of Kashmiris."

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