Srinagar: National Conference has demanded that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed be tried in courts for his alleged role in various "massacres in which hundreds of people were killed" in the state when he was the Union home minister.
"NC demands that Sayeed stand trial in courts for his involvement in Gawkadal massacre, Bijbehara massacre, Hawal massacre, Kupwara massacre... It is time that the present chief minister of J-K is seen in the court of law facing trial for his role in bloodshed as an ex-Home Minister of India. It is time for the PDP to reply to this," NC spokesman Junaid Mattu told reporters here.
The demand comes days after PDP leader and Minister for Education Naeem Akhtar's reported statement that NC working president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah should face trial for "killing 120 boys" in 2010.
Mattu said Akhtar had no right to speak about human rights violations if "the killings during Sayeed's regime were not killings."
"We cannot forget Sayeed's role in these massacres. If Akhtar does not believe the killings that took place when Sayeed was the home minister were killings and human rights violations, then he (Akhtar) has no right to speak," he said.
The NC spokesman said cases were registered for the killings in 2010, but there were no FIRs in "massacres."
"If there was anyone in the mainstream who was pained by those killings, it was Omar. FIRs have been registered for 2010 killings and we cannot interfere in those cases. But have any FIRs been registered in these massacres in which Sayeed is involved," he said.
He described the PDP-BJP coalition government in the state as a "drama company" that was "staging theatrics" to "divert" the attention of the people from the "unholy alliance."
"This (coalition) is a drama company. They are staging theatrics and diversionary tactics to divert attention from their unholy alliance as people here had voted in large numbers to keep the BJP at bay," he said.
Mattu said the government was enacting a drama every three days to divert the attention of the people and media from their "hollow" Common Minimum Program (CMP).
"Their sole purpose is to divert the attention from the hollow CMP. Since the CMP was released, every three days the PDP has tried to create an uproar so that no one looks at the CMP," he said.
He accused the PDP of "surrender" on the issue of the revocation of the controversial AFSPA.
"On AFSPA, the CMP says it is the domain of the Central government. The PDP has surrendered on the issue for Sayeed's chair and some more cabinet berths. The irony is that the PDP has even thrown its own vision document on self-rule into the dust-bin," he said.
Asked about the party's stand on the release of separatist leader Masarat Alam, Mattu said it was a legal process and an unnecessary hype had been created over the issue.
"It is a legal and an administrative process and the administration must have its wisdom in doing so. (but) an unnecessary political hype has been created around the issue which merited none. Let PDP clarify first if he was released during the Governor's rule or by the present government, then we will react to it," the NC spokesman said.
On the issue of supporting of a resolution moved by independent legislator Sheikh Abdul Rashid seeking the return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, Mattu said "We have demanded the return of Guru's mortal remains and stand by the demand."
