Mufti's statement was distorted: Beg

JAMMU: Law and finance minister Muzaffar Beg has accused some news agencies and TV channels of distorting J&K chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s statements.
The chief minister’s replies on questions pertaining to a ceasefire during Ramzan, talks with militants and possible release of Hurriyat leaders were distorted to show the chief minister in bad light, he alleged.
The chief minister spoke to reporters here two days ago about the economic and administrative measures being contemplated by the new government and replied to some questions pertaining to other issues as well, Beg said.
Some agencies and TV channels reported that the chief minister favours a unilateral ceasefire during Ramzan, the minister said. According to Beg, when a reporter asked the CM whether he favoured a unilateral ceasefire, Sayeed had said that he had not applied his mind to the issue. The chief minister had said that for any ceasefire to be meaningful, it had to be ‘‘reciprocated and respected by the other side’’, Beg added.
On a possible dialogue with militants, the chief minister had said that unlike Farooq Abdullah, he wouldn’t be an impediment in the way of talks between militants and the Centre, Beg said.
The senior PDP leader asserted that the government would take up the issue of ‘‘wrong and dishonest reporting’’ with the news agencies concerned.
On a question pertaining to the release of Hurriyat leaders, Mufti had said that Hurriyat leaders had been released in the past. He had said that ‘‘democracy is a battle of ideas and the Hurriyat leaders can say what they have to say and we will say what we have to say’’, the minister clarified, adding the CM had not said that the Hurriyat leaders were being released as was wrongly reported.
Beg alleged that efforts were being made by some unscrupulous newsmen to create an impression that the Mufti was pro-militant. This was being done to harm the Congress, a PDP ally, elsewhere (an allusion to the impending Gujarat assembly elections), he felt.