Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the current situation in the State, and stated that the Centre’s “jackboot approach” was bound to fail.
“The only way to bring about lasting peace in J&K is through reconciliation and meaningful engagement that honours the dignity of the people of J&K. The jackboot approach and attempts to silence the aspiration of people by suppression and muzzling of the people hasn’t worked in the past and is bound to fail now,” Ms. Mufti, who is the president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said in her address to a day-long workers’ convention in Zainpora, Shopian.
She said it is evident that Delhi looks at Kashmiris with suspicion even after almost eight decades of the Instrument of Accession was executed between India and J&K.
“The fountainhead of the problems in J&K is the desire and aspiration of its people for peace with dignity. The era of Mufti Sahab [Ms. Mufti’s father] at the helm of affairs is termed as the golden era because he believed and knew that in J&K development sans peace will not make the desired difference. His focus on reconciliation and dialogue led to historic developments in the resolution of problems in J&K that were otherwise seemingly impossible,” Ms. Mufti said.
Referring to the recent police action to book seven Kashmiri students under the “draconian” Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Ms. Mufti said, “This incident shows that the BJP has even criminalised the spirit of sports when it comes to Kashmir. It is ironic that the people who after dismembering J&K celebrated the collective humiliation of the people can’t tolerate Australia’s superior game on the day to be cheered. Wherein young students were booked under draconian UAPA for the act of simply cheering a good game. This is when the country’s Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] himself cheered Australia for its game.”
