Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today hit back at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, saying MLAs were only furthering the Centre's agenda on Kashmir while ignoring the rights and interests of the people of the Valley.
"In the so-called Jammu and Kashmir Assembly where the legislators claim to be the representatives of the people, (they) actually work to further the agenda of Delhi while completely ignoring the rights and interests of the people of Kashmir," the Mirwaiz, who is also the chief priest of Kashmir, said addressing a gathering at Aali Masjid in old city here.
Mehbooba had yesterday accused the clergy of Kashmir of raising controversial issues like Article 370 of the Constitution giving special powers to Jammu and Kashmir, in their sermons, and said this could destablise the state.
The Mirwaiz said the people of Kashmir were caught in deep political, economic and social crises due to the "acts" of the MLAs and that the religious leadership of Kashmir would never remain quite on the problems of the people.
Referring to Mehbooba's statement, he said the people who give such statements were either "unaware" of the ground realities in the state or were not able to look into the "realities due to their arrogance of power".
"These people talk of representing the masses, while in reality they have sold the resources of the people like water, power projects, forests and other natural resources for fulfilling their own selfish interests," he said.
"These people even abandoned the masses during the September 2014 devastating floods when the entire government vanished from the ground," he said.
The Mirwaiz said it was the religious institutions and leadership that came forward at that time of crisis and helped the flood-hit people.
Mehbooba had yesterday told the Assembly, "I am surprised that (Muslim) preachers talk so big about Article 370 (in their sermons). What is Article 370? It is of significance only if we are at peace."
The Mirwaiz said the joint programme announced by the separatist groups against the setting up of a Sainik Colony would continue.
(Reopens NRG 17)
In a separate statement, hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani expressed "deep concern" over the pronouncement of death sentence to Rather.
"Judiciary was thought the last resort for justice but instead they are acting as a tool for injustice. Indian judiciary has never delivered justice when it comes to people of the state (Jammu and Kashmir) and their decisions and rulings are always influenced by biased approach and politics," he alleged.
Geelani said the death sentence was "mockery of justice" and people of Jammu and Kashmir never "reposed faith in Indian judiciary" as they have witnessed how "these institutions were influenced in (Parliament attack convict) Afzal Guru's case.
Guru, a resident of Sopore township of north Kashmir, was hanged in Delhi's Tihar jail on February 9, 2013.
Geelani alleged that Kashmiri youth, arrested outside the state, were convicted and implicated on fake allegations and "even legal consultation or assistance is not provided and hence the verdicts declared by court are full of flaws.
