Policies of Centre turning J&K people into militants, alleges Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar: Continuing with her tirade against the policies of BJP government at the Centre, PDP president and former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti Sunday alleged that common people were being turned into militants in the state.

“You (Centre) talk to militants in the Northeast, but in Jammu and Kashmir, you have turned common people into militants,” she said while speaking to party workers at the mausoleum of her father in Bijbehara town of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

The firebrand PDP president alleged that people of J&K were being treated differently from those in other states.

“People are being pushed in jails for no reason by the ED, NIA and SIA. This is how you treat your own people,” she said while speaking on the eighth death anniversary of her father and PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

She said that if the Centre talks to J&K people with dignity “we will respond and respect. However, if you talk through batons like you did in Bafliaz (Poonch, where three civilians died allegedly in Army custody), it will not work. We will not surrender and won’t raise the white flag," Mufti asserted.

She asked the Centre to learn from the approach taken by her late father in dealing with separatists.

“Learn something from Mufti sahib. He tried to connect the hearts of people. He gave a way to separatists too so that they can live in this country with dignity,” she said.

“Mufti sahib never said a wrong thing. He always held on to one flag only, but he only said the people of Jammu and Kashmir want peace with dignity,” she added.