Kashmir ruled by law of jungle: Mehbooba

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti during a rally in Anantnag. -Excelsior/Sajad Dar
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti during a rally in Anantnag. -Excelsior/Sajad Dar

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 17: President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that Kashmir is ruled by the law of jungle and people did not accede to the type of country India has become in the last five years.
Mehbooba made these remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an election rally in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. She criticized the recent thrashing of an on-duty Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) along with employees on the Highway.
“Yesterday an on-duty SDM was thrashed by army along with other employees on the Highway. Our roads are being sealed, the prisoners are being mistreated. Bodies of militants are mutilated and charred by using some chemicals on them,” she said.
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The former Chief Minister said it seems that India is no longer the country which Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Maharaja Hari Singh have chosen for people of the State. “By signing the instrument of accession they signed for an inclusive country where everyone is equal. The type of oppression and subjugation Kashmiris have been subjected to make them shudder on the mere thought of living with India,” she said.
Mehbooba criticized the banning of civilian traffic on the Highway twice a week and termed it a dictatorial move. “The highway ban has caused immense hardships to the locals. Our fruit growers who are transporting their fruits from cold stores to New Delhi markets are suffering huge loses. A cancer patient also died yesterday after he was disallowed to move ahead. All these things point towards the dictatorship. I do not understand what is Governor and GOI trying to prove by such measures,” she asked.
The PDP president said that she had clearly told Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh that if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tinkers with the special status of Jammu and Kashmir then PDP will have no option but to leave the Government.
Asked why did not she stop the use of chemicals during encounters in Kashmir, Mehbooba said: “It did not happen in my term but I was pressurized not to handover militant bodies to their families, but I refused. I also refused a ban on Jamat-e-Islami. For last some months a chemical is being used on the bodies of the militants to mutilate them beyond recognition. They are interfering in our religion,” she said.
Asked what did the party achieved during PDP- BJP alliance, the PDP president said: “Most important thing was that there was no tinkering with Article 370. We appointed interlocutor to prepare grounds for the dialogue. That did not move ahead due to our bad relations with Pakistan. I canceled the FIRs of 1200 boys and announced Ramazan ceasefire. These things happened in two years,” she said.
About NC’s allegations over safeguarding the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by the PDP, Mehbooba said, during her tenure, she took every step to safeguard the special status and also employed best lawyer to defend the case at Supreme Court.

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