“Remove troops, then see who will be on Ventilator”
Pallavi Sareen
JAMMU, Sept 11: Ex-Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti challenged central government to remove 10 lakh troops from Kashmir valley and then see, who would be on ventilator.
Responding to a question on People’s Alliance on Gupkar Declaration, Iltija said “Gupkar Alliance is not on Ventilator. Remove ten lakh troops from J&K and then see who is on ventilator.” She threw this challenge when the anchor of the Gulistan News asked her about the public perception that Gupkar Alliance is on the ventilator and would be no more soon.
To this, Iltija said “Remove ten lakh security forces from J&K and then see who is on ventilator”.
Mehbooba’s daughter made this statement during an interview session with Gulistan News Badalta Jammu Kashmir Conclave, here today. Iltija’s statement drew sharp criticism from the President of Jammu Chamber of Commerce and industry Arun Gupta.
He said, “Had she made this kind of statement in Pakistan, she would have been arrested from the venue itself.”
“I condemn this statement,” said Gupta. However, Iltija, who became the flagbearer of PDP after August 5, 2019 when her mother was placed under house-arrest was seen in her usual aggressive mode as she took a dig on the restrictions her family was being subjected to. She narrated a conversation between her lawyer and ex-Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
“My lawyer talked to CJI Gogoi and told him that my movement is being restricted and he joked about it saying ‘udhar sardi bohot hai, usko bolo thoda kam ghoomey’ (It is quite cold there so tell her to wander less). This is how they belittle what we are facing,” she said.
She talked about her aged grandmother and said that her passport request was denied twice and even she was being summoned by Enforcement Directorate. During the conclave, she talked about diverse issues in J&K — whether it was the unemployment rate which she claimed to be 56%, the curtailment of civil liberties, attack on freedom of press as well as the militarization of the region.
When asked who should be considered the stakeholders of Jammu and Kashmir, she said, “Why should Hurriyat be dismissed? This is what they (the government) want. They want to replace Hurriyat with regional mainstream political parties like National Conference and PDP. They have made J&K into a test laboratory.”
She also hinted at the internal disharmony of PAGD by saying that parties need to put their political interests aside to look at the big picture since people’s hope lies with PAGD. On the addition of non-local voters, she said, “This is a deliberate attempt to change this demography of Jammu and Kashmir and attempts at cultural annihilation of the Dogras and Kashmiris.”
She also alleged that “babus” and “intelligence agencies” do not want that elections should be held in J&K. “They want to continue acting like the executive without political accountability,” she added.
She, however, did not give a clear answer whether she has would become full-time politician and would be taking charge of PDP now. “I’m an ordinary Kashmiri girl. I am not attracted towards politics. When I started speaking, it was because there was a political vacuum at the time,” she said.
