And this was just the father talking. Wait until you hear what his daughter recently suggested. People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti recently proposed joint council for Jammu & Kashmir that would include members of assemblies from both parts of Kashmir - Pak-Occupied Kashmir and India's Kashmir. At a lecture organized by South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), Mehbooba, who herself is a Lok Sabha member, argued that she wants to see Kashmiris free to interact with neighboring countries to do trade and business. Now since when does a region have to have a joint council with other countries to be able to trade with those countries? Did we all miss a memo from World Trade Organization?

Mufti Sayeed's statements arguing for dual currency in the state are purely anti-national and secessionist in nature. By making such outlandish statements, Mufti Sayeed is showing his true colors and exposing his hidden agenda. His advocacy of dual-currency in J&K simply amounts to secessionism. It is probably appropriate to remind the readers that he is the same Mufti Mohd. Sayeed during whose term as union home minister, his daughter's kidnapping was orchestrated to get the 4 dreaded Islamic terrorists released. Did he have anything to do with that? Your guess is as good as mine. It is a shame that a former union Home minister is speaking the language of Pakistan's ISI and working on behalf of Pakistani government. There is no difference between his language and the language spoken by secessionist forces like Jammat-e-Islami.

Ms. Mehbooba Mufti, who is on India's payroll, draws her salary from Indian treasury, enjoys the perks provided by Indian parliament, and feels secure using security provided by Indian jawans, has the audacity to propose her anti-national joint council proposal. What is the difference between her and other secessionist politicians whose cause is to further divide India? What is the difference between her slogans and the slogans shouted by Sallahuddin from Pakistan? The only difference I see is that Mehbooba is promoting the secessionist agenda while being a member of Indian parliament whereas Sallahudin promotes the same agenda sitting in ISI's company in Pakistan.

At the same conference in Pakistan, Mehbooba opposed "another division based on religion" and argued to make the boundaries irrelevant. It might be worthwhile to remind Ms. Mehbooba Mufti that the state has already been divided based on religion. If it were not divided based on religion, Kashmiri Hindus would not have been hounded out of their homes. It was her father Mufti Sayeed who orchestrated the 1985-86 riots in Anantnag that targeted the minority Kashmiri Hindus and that turned out to be the beginning of their ethnic cleansing. It is tragic as well as comical that Mehbooba Mufti has the nerve to oppose the division based on religion whereas her own father has been promoting Jamaat-e-Islami's cause of Nizam-e-Mustafa.

One wonders how far this father-daughter duo is going to go in promoting ISI's agenda. This father-daughter duo has done more damage to the Indian nation than the likes of Jammat-e-Islami, Hurriyat et al. In the case of Hurriyat and Jammat, one at least knows their stand. Right or wrong, they are at least honest and candid about their agenda whereas Mufti-Mufti team will tell you one thing in Delhi, another thing in Anantnag and totally different thing in Srinagar. This father-daughter duo needs to realize what late Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah realized long time ago and that is the fact that Kashmir and Kashmiris are better off with India than with Pakistan. One only needs to take a hard look at the politico-socio-economic situation in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir and one would quickly realize the reality.

General masses need to see through Mufti duo's separatist designs that are harming the soul of the nation. It is imperative upon the voting public that they show the exit door to these anti-national politicians in forthcoming elections. These secessionists-in-disguise need to be exposed and banished from all the public offices for rest of their lives. That only can save the Indian nation.

The author is the current President of Indo-American Kashmir Forum, an advocacy group based in USA.

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