Mehbooba is living a fool’s paradise and in a world of the past
“Operation All-out” is in full swing in terror-infested Kashmir and other parts of Union Territory. Disciplined, determined and devoted-to-national-cause security forces are putting in all efforts to cleanse the UT of all Pakistan-trained, indoctrinated, and funded terrorists, both local and foreigner. The past few weeks have seen security forces scoring many splendid successes and liquidating top terror operatives of several terror outfits. The security forces’ success could be gauged from the fact that the mortally afraid terrorists are seeking refuge in mosques with security forces nabbing and killing them while maintaining the sanctity of mosques.
On April 16, security forces found themselves in a piquant situation in Kashmir’s Kulgam while launching a search operation against terrorists in Karewa Mohallah in Frisal village. A woman Special Police Officer (SPO) Saima Akhter created a sort of scene. Convinced that it would be against the paramount national interest to allow her to go scot-free, the police arrested her and the concerned authorities dismissed her from service. She was arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Section 353 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Two specific charges against her were:
- She resisted the search party, turned violent and obstructed search operations.
- She uttered statements glorifying the actions of militants.
The upshots of her statements always have been Kashmir “issue’, self-rule, dialogue with Pakistan, restoration of Articles 35A and 370 and full state status to UT of J&K and her targets have been five – PM Modi, HM Shah, RSS, BJP, and security forces.
As expected, former J&K CM and the fast-crumbling PDP’s (Peoples Democratic Party) chief Mehbooba Mufti, who has been facing serious charges, including the alleged loot and plunder of the CM’s Fund/ money laundering conducted herself most irresponsibly. Instead of appreciating the role of the security forces, she denigrated them from the official Gupkar residence.
Insulting security forces and the Indian State, she said: “Saima Akhter from Kulgam has been slapped UAPA for raising legitimate questions about searching her home repeatedly without any reason…when it comes to cruelty even women aren’t spared in Naya Kashmir”. Indeed, it was a highly provocative and uncalled for statement, but she made it hoping such atrocious anti-state statements might help her retrieve the religio-political space she lost over the period.
As said, what she said was on expected lines. Ever since her release from detention, Mehbooba Mufti, who and whose mother has been denied an Indian Passport on national security reasons and who is on the radar of the National Investigative Agency (NIA), has been making provocative statements almost daily during her meetings with the leftover party workers and followers and while interacting with media persons. And the upshots of her statements always have been Kashmir “issue’, self-rule, dialogue with Pakistan, restoration of Articles 35A and 370 and full state status to UT of J&K and her targets have been five – PM Modi, HM Shah, RSS, BJP, and security forces.
Only on April 12, desperate, frustrated, out-on-the-limb and defeated Mehbooba Mufti again crossed the line she used to cross before and after she became CM at regular intervals. She pitched for “self-rule”, batted for Pakistani sovereignty and urged PM Modi to talk to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan to resolve the so-called Kashmir issue. She even went to extent of asking PM Modi to travel to Islamabad to participate in the scheduled SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) meet and used the opportunity to break the ice by accommodating Pakistani stand on J&K, which is legitimately Indian — historically, civilizational, culturally and politically.
Pitching for “self-rule”, Mehbooba Mufti demanded “a resolution for the Kashmir issue as per the agenda of her late father Mufti Mohammad Syed” and said that “a resolution along the lines of Syed’s agenda was essential to not compromise on the sovereignty of India and Pakistan”.
“Don’t ignore the Kashmir issue when you (Kashmiri youth) speak of Article 370. They (PM Modi and HM Shah) want to change the narrative that the people want statehood and when they give, it and all ends. Kashmir is an issue and we want a resolution…Union government can enter into dialogue with some Bodo and Naga terror groups. What’s the difficulty of replicating this approach in the Union Territory? As the SAARC summit is set to be held in Pakistan, we hope our PM will go there as there is no other way besides dialogue to resolve issues, including Kashmir,” she also said at her party headquarters in Srinagar.
Clearly, Mehbooba Mufti is living a fool’s paradise and in a world of the past. She is trying to achieve unachievable things. Times have changed. New Delhi’s approach towards Kashmir and Pakistan have also changed. The sooner she and others of her ilk realize it, the better. She would do well to understand that things have changed in Kashmir to the extent that those who obstruct search operations there are now booked under the UAPA as such obstructions are considered anti-state acts.
Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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