Ram Madhav meets Mehbooba Mufti, govt formation discussed

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav today met PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to condole the death of her father and also discussed government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the BJP leader refused to divulge any detail on the issue, and later had a closed door meeting with BJP MLAs.
"I went to meet Mehbooba (Mufti) to express my condolences on the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. We had some discussions over the future of the government but I will not be able to share more details about these deliberations right now.
"When time will come, we will let you know," Madhav told reporters here before going for a meeting with BJP legislators.

The BJP is yet to deliver a letter of support for Mehbooba's candidature to the Governor and is meeting under the chairmanship of Madhav here to decide its future course of action.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday wrote a letter to the Governor backing party president Mehbooba to succeed Sayeed as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir following her father's death.

"There is always a mutual assurance over it. But maximum
things in AoA ARE to be done by the state government. AoA is itself an assurance. Rs 80000 crore is a step towards that assurance. Everything is in writing. BJP has vetted it at the highest level. It was done after giving proper thought. It was not an easy thing for BJP. We formed alliance keeping in view of aspiration of the people of J&K," he said.

Asked whether a formal dialogue between PDP and BJP over government formation has began, he said, "We have worked together in the past and have been talking with each other. It is held at the Delhi-level. Last month Ram Madav Ji had come and held discussion".
"We would have reviewed performance of the government (by the year-end), had Mufti sahib been alive, and timelined the projects," he said.
Singh further said "We have a clear stand. We said that alliance is there and it is intact. No one (coalition partners) has denied it. AoA, they (PDP) said, is a sacred and it is our commitment. The AoA is our trust and faith in each other. And the restoration of trust is Rs 80000 cr (package)".

He said there is full support and blessings of the Central government.
"The PM had said Rs 80000 crore is a beginning. You (J&K) spend it, provide us Utilisation Certificates and take more money. The door of exchequer is open for the people of J&K, PM had said," Singh said.
"It is a matter of trust. We have trust. Mufti sahib had trust in Centre and people of J&K have trust and we will continue to move forward with that trust," he added.
On the issues of AFSPA, he said both the parties have explained their stand on it in AoA.

Asked if the Kashmiri youths allegedly involved in the JNU incident are not being touched because of the stalemate on government formation, he said, "(There is) nothing like that. Law takes its course. Anti-national activity whether it is in J&K or anywhere else would be dealt with firmly.