‘Situation in India no different from Pak’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 16: Former J&K Chief Minister and PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti today said that like the ruling party in Pakistan is trying to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the BJP-led Central Government here is also misusing Central agencies to put Opposition leaders in jail.
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Talking to media-persons at the party office here today, the former Chief Minister said she was concerned about the difficulties being faced by people in the aftermath of the revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories in August 2019.
“Nothing new is happening in Pakistan. It is happening here (India) as well,” Mufti said while responding to a question on the developments in crisis-hit Pakistan where the ruling party is planning to arrest the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman on corruption charges.
“The situation is not different in India where sitting ministers, former ministers are also jailed. Manish Sisodia (AAP), (Kalvakuntla) Kavitha (daughter of Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao), Lalu Prasad (RJD president), Shiv Sena leaders and others have been targeted (jailed or summoned),” she said.
Former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao also went to jail (in 1996) as per the law of the land, however, the BJP-led Central Government is misusing the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the opposition leaders to put them in jails, she said.
On being asked about the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the role of her party, Mehbooba said, “When the election takes place is not my priority. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are facing in difficulties in the aftermath of the 2019 development.”
“PDP general secretary Amrik Singh Reen is part of the All Party delegation led by National Conference president Farooq Abdullah to brief the opposition leaders in Delhi about the difficulties and suppression being faced by the people in Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
Mufti said the delegation will also brief the opposition leaders about the recruitment scams, contracts of minor minerals and liquor given to outsiders and failure of the administration to provide jobs to the youth.
“No outside industry has come to J&K from 2019 onwards. Jammu businessmen are suffering after the administration stopped the Darbar Move,” she said, claiming that people from outside are coming and settling in Jammu.
Asked about Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s statement that 47 terrorists and their families who were provided jobs by the previous governments were dismissed by his administration, Mufti said he will set a record by dismissing employees but not providing jobs to aspirants.
“People are thrown out of jobs while new jobs are not given to anyone. Students after appear in an examination but scams are happening. He is going to set a record for dismissing employees,” she added.
The PDP leader welcomed the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board’s decision to defer the recruitment examination but termed it a “half-hearted attempt” as a previously blacklisted company hired to conduct the exam has not been banned despite protests.
“The move is half hearted as APTECH has not been shown the door. The reason for unrest among the job seekers is hiring of the blacklisted company. Deferring examination is not going to benefit,” she said.
Mufti suggested that the JKSSB should either conduct the examination on its own or engage an agency which has a clean image. She also demanded action against those who hired the company for conducting the examination.
Referring to the move of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to seek suggestions of people over the implementation of Property Tax in J&K, Mehbooba said deferring any issue is not a solution but addressing the root cause will help the public.
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