Srinagar, Aug 7 (IANS) Former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister and President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Friday that she and her party were being harassed just because PDP is the only party seeking restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A.
Mehbooba Mufti staged a protest in Srinagar on Friday as police summoned her daughter, Iltija Mufti for questioning in a case of alleged attack on a policeman in uniform.
Police station Kothibagh in Srinagar city registered an FIR on August 5 in which Iltija Mufti is accused of having assaulted a policeman on duty while she was holding a protest on the seventh anniversary of abrogation of Article 370.
A group of PDP workers tried to accompany Iltija Mufti to Kotjibagh police station, but they were stopped midway while Iltija Mufti went to the police station today.
Mehbooba Mufti told reporters that since PDP is the only political party seeking restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, it has become the prime target for the Right-wing RSS and the BJP.
“Every attempt was made to break our party. We were harassed and intimidated. Didn’t the National Conference and the Congress hold protests for restoration of statehood? Why was our protest only stopped?
“Those who facilitated the abrogation of Article 370 and are responsible for the present plight of the people, stand exposed today.
“Former RAW chief, A.S. Dulat said just two days back that Farooq Sahib is the biggest leader of J&K. Dulat also said that the only regret Farooq Sahib has is why Prime Minister, Narendra Modi did not take him into confidence before abrogation of Article 370.
“Dulat is on record saying that Farooq Abdullah told him he would have helped smoother abrogation of Article 370.”
Alluding to the founder of the National Conference, late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Mufti said, “Didn’t the tallest leader of the National Conference say in 1981 that ‘Article 370 is no Quranic verse which cannot be changed’.
“Didn’t he say that Article 370 would be abrogated if it stood in way of J&K’s development.
“What the tallest leader of the National Conference said in 1981 was implemented in 2019.”
She also alleged that while all political leaders were protesting for restoration of statehood on July 5, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had chosen to visit Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu region in order to avoid saying anything on the issue.
The attempt of the PDP to take the protest march through the streets of the city was disallowed and the PDP leaders and workers were confined to the party headquarter in Residency Road area of uptown Srinagar.
–IANS
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