Jammu: A day after the former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, issued a press statement to withdraw his security cover to implement his call for demilitarisation in Jammu and Kashmir, the People Democratic Party members tried to downplay the implications of the statement as they came with their usual security cover.

In response to repeated calls for demilitarisation, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said in the Legislative Assembly on Monday that he would ask the Centre to withdraw the troops if the MLAs declared that they did not need personal security.

As soon as the Assembly commenced for the day, Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh called for a clarification of Mr. Sayeed's statement but there was hardly any debate on it.

Talking to reporters, PDP leader Tariq Hamid Karra said there was no need to make any connection between the Mufti's statement and the stability of the Congress-PDP Government. Mr. Karra said, "We have come with our security as usual and the decision to withdraw it has to be taken by the State Government."

The statement was also downplayed in the Legislative Council. Political observers term the latest statement of the former Chief Minister part of the latest political rhetoric between the National Conference and the PDP.

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