Politics

In search of votes Mehbooba Mufti returns to militants residences in Kashmir

Supporting militants has become a political compulsion for the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.

January 4, 2019

In search of votes Mehbooba Mufti returns to militants residences

‘Mehbooba using dead militants to try to appease voters’: Omar
‘My visiting these helpless families shouldn’t trouble you’: Mehbooba

Dumped by several senior party colleagues in the run-up to the elections in 2019, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehooba Mufti, has once again started making round trips to the residences of militants to prevent harassment of their families at the hands of security forces.

Omar responded with sharp reaction, “Unlike you, I prefer not to exploit their pain while in opposition only to forget all about it in power. Different horses for different courses.”

In her heydays, she built her party’s image by applying ‘healing touch‘ to the militants’ families and making inroads in South Kashmir districts.

Now as her party is struggling to stay relevant in Kashmir politics she has once again decided to redraw her party’s strategy.

In the last week, Mehbooba Mufti has visited residences of two young militants and met their family members who alleged that local police authorities were harassing them in the name of investigations.

Her desperate and ’emotive’ move adversely impacted new-found bonhomie between her and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The relations turned sour to the extent National Conference president Omar Abdullah even accused her of “using dead militants to try to appease voters.”

Soon after Mehbooba returned from Shopian, Omar started tweeting to corner his political adversary.

In his first tweet, Omar wrote, “the architect of “Operation All-out” & the overseer of the operations that killed hundreds of militants since 2015 is now going from one militant home to the next trying to rehabilitate a badly damaged reputation”.

In his subsequent tweet, Omar wrote, “She used militants by sanctioning their deaths to appease the BJP and now she uses dead militants to try to appease the voter. Just how gullible does she think people are?” the former CM added.

In response Mehbooba tweeted, My visiting these helpless families shouldn’t trouble you, rather we all should try to reach out to them as they can not be left at the mercy of others”.

Questioning Omar she tweeted again, “It was your duty as an opposition leader to reach out to these families, just like I did during your tenure as CM. I visited families that lost members who were killed during a fake encounter at Manchil, during 2010 unrest & Shopian rape and murder case”.

Omar responded with another sharp reaction, He wrote back, That’s the problem you only reach these people in opposition. Unlike you, I prefer not to exploit their pain while in opposition only to forget all about it in power. Different horses for different courses.

“The two dynasties are at it again. Enacting theatre. A month or so back both were squeaky clean. Now the gloves are off. Accuse each other by the day confer by the night. Winking on twitter hoodwinking en masse. One has 2010 to his credit the other has 2016 to her credit”.

Earlier, she also tweeted from her twitter handle, “No mother wants her son to pick up a gun and lose his life in the prime of his youth. Therefore harassing the family is not going to help the situation. Had my initiative of ceasefire sustained many more precious lives would have been saved.”

“No force or military can help us win this war with our people. Only affection of mothers and family will help reclaim our own generation in rage,” she wrote on Twitter.

After visiting family of a slain militant in Shopian district of south Kashmir, Mehbooba had also told reporters “Our police is a disciplined force. The Governor should issue clear-cut directions that families of militants should not be harassed”.

This was Mehbooba’s second visit to the family of militants.

Earlier, she had visited a similar family in Pulwama district.

Newfound bonhomie lasted barely over one month?

On November 21, 2018, the two were seen on the same page over the issue of government formation in Jammu and Kashmir and had even decided to join hands together to keep their common enemy Sajjad Lone of Peoples Conference away from the corridors of power.

But after J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik went ahead and dissolved the state assembly their dream of forming the government came crashing.

As leader of the opposition, Omar Abdullah, took it in stride and started focusing on forthcoming Assembly elections.

But after this failed exercise, the image of the Peoples Democratic Party was dented in the eyes of the electorate.

Reacting to the catfight between the two Kashmiri leaders Sajjad Lone also tweeted, “The two dynasties are at it again. Enacting theatre. A month or so back both were squeaky clean. Now the gloves are off. Accuse each other by the day confer by the night. Winking on twitter hoodwinking en masse. One has 2010 to his credit the other has 2016 to her credit”.

Supporting militants has become a political compulsion for the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti: J&k Governor

The governor requested all political parties to understand the fragile security situation in parts of Jammu and Kashmir and not to upset this through motivated statements and false allegations.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has said that supporting militants has become a political compulsion for the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.

The former chief minister had on Sunday warned the Governor and the state police against the alleged harassment of a Pulwama woman (whose brother happens to be a militant), her husband and brother in police custody at a Jammu police station.

Interacting with the media persons here on the sidelines of a function, Malik said, “Since I am Governor, I don’t feel bad about what Mehbooba said about me the previous day. Moreover, she is the daughter of my friend (Mufti Sayeed), I don’t take her words seriously. But, I personally feel that it is her (Mehbooba’s) political compulsion to support militants to regain the lost base in Valley.”

The Governor also said, “We’ve directed our forces not to harass family members of militants. We don’t have any issue with the militants’ families. At the same time, I want to assure her (Mehbooba) that if any family member of the militants has been harassed in custody, I will order a high-level probe into it.”

In a separate statement, Raj Bhawan spokesman clarified that there are standing general and specific instructions that have been issued to all police officers and staff on not harassing families of militants. This is being followed meticulously in most circumstances. However, there could be a situation where a few relatives of a militant are questioned by police under due process of law so as to obtain details of a militant’s whereabouts. This is done very rarely and only on the basis of specific information.

In this particular incident, which relates to residents of Patipora in Pulwama district, it is clarified that none of the persons were questioned in Pulwama. They were questioned in Jammu district based on very specific intelligence inputs.

“I have been informed that there has been no tearing up of a lady’s clothes or her being harassed by the police. I once again reiterate that all police officers and staff will be directed not to harass ladies who happen to be relatives of militants or treat them in any unbecoming manner. Any questioning should be done as per normal practice only in the presence of a lady constable.

I also request all political parties to understand the fragile security situation in parts of Jammu and Kashmir and not to upset this through motivated statements and false allegations. This will only demoralize a hard-working police force.”

Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.