Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Kashmiris have not forgotten former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti's controversial "milk and toffee" remark which cost the party in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, party leader Mehboob Beg said.
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat reporter Parvez ud Din, Mehboob Beg, who switched to the PDP from the NC, acknowledged that the PDP “failed to accurately gauge public sentiment and that the issues the party raised did not resonate with the people”. He stressed the need for introspection and addressing these shortcomings.
Beg said that people might still hold a grudge against Mehbooba Mufti's "milk and toffee" remark of August, 2016 in the aftermath of the civilian killings by the security forces in Kashmir during months-long agitation in the wake of killing of popular Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Mehbooba, while addressing a presser on Aug 24 that year, had justified civilian killings said that those killed in the security forces firing had not gone out to buy milk and toffees. The PDP President was the chief minister in coalition with the BJP at the time.
Beg also noted that following the abrogation of Article 370, the PDP was “specifically targeted, leading to the formation of the Apni Party and the defection of several PDP leaders, which he said weakened the party. According to Beg, the BJP “perceived the PDP as the main opposition to its decisions affecting Kashmir and its people”. Beg also discussed the results in the Baramulla parliamentary constituency where party candidate Fayaz Mir lost his deposit. He noted that voters, “driven by emotions, elected Engineer Rashid by a significant majority”. This led to a situation where neither PDP candidate Fayaz Mir could save his deposit nor could National Conference's vice-president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah secure a victory, Beg said.
Over a question about of a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference (NC), Beg criticized the NC leadership for “prioritizing their party over the broader interests of Jammu and Kashmir”.
Regarding the potential impact of the recent decision on the PDP's performance in the upcoming assembly elections, Beg stated that if the party does not address its weaknesses, it could affect their winning prospects.
