Mamata's reaction to BJP-led Centre's Kashmir move is most innocuous submission: CPI-M's Md. Salim

Speaking at the CPI-M headquarters in the evening, Salim said, "Initially Mamata said she has no knowledge about the detention. For the first time in four decades, Mamata said she does not have knowledge of something. The Chief Minister had no knowledge of it while the country was debating, discussing and gossiping for the last three days.

Later she said Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are not terrorists and they should be released. This was the most innocuous submission of Mamata in her entire political career.

Reacting to the Centre's doing away with Jammu and Kashmir's special status, bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh- and detention of Abdullah and Mufti, Mamata broke her silence on Tuesday saying, "Whatever I am learning from media is that Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been kept under preventive detention. I appeal to the government to release them as they are also the Kashmiris, our brother and sister. They are not the terrorists."

In a cautious statement, Mamata, who is an arch-rival of the BJP now, also said she was opposed to the procedure of the Centre's move. "The Trinamool could not vote in favour of the Centre's bill to do away with Jammu and Kashmir's special status as the procedure was wrong," the Trinamool Congress chief said.

Accusing the Trinamool of being unable to take a political stand and maintaining a secret bonhomie with the BJP, Salim said, " Trinamool is a club which only extracts money through illegal means, corrupt practices, chit funds or bribes or cut money. But they deter whenever a political issue comes. The Trinamool cannot take a political position because for that it needs to have a political understanding and politics.

Moreover, the Trinamool and the BJP are not fighting at the central level and that is evident from how Derek O'Brien (Trinamool MP) reacted to the bill in the Rajya Sabha. In the last five years, the Trinamool used go soft whenever the entire Opposition tried to corner the BJP. The Trinamool avoids to take a political position. "

Both Abdullah and Mufti, who were house arrested at midnight on Sunday, were detained on Monday evening.

When asked about whether the Centre's move will also result in the bifurcation of West Bengal and lead to the creation of Gorkhaland from Darjeeling, Salim said, " In reference to Darjeeling, there is hardly any difference between the BJP and the Trinamool. Which party will divide the state is the question."

Article 35A of the Indian Constitution allows the Jammu and Kashmir state's legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and also provides special rights and privileges to those permanent residents.

Article 370 allows Jammu and Kashmir to have its own constitution, flag and right to handle its own laws except on matters that impact national security.

Clearing his party's stand  over the Centre's historic move, the CPI-M leader and former Lok Sabha MP said, " A political crisis needs to be solved by using political instruments and not by any other means in a democratic country. Kashmir problem will have to be solved by remaining within the constitutional framework and by giving respect to our constitution. The path is tough but there is no short cut. "