JOIN USJ&K admin disallows prayer meet on Mufti’s anniversary
Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday disallowed regional PDP leaders and family of former chief minister late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed to hold a prayer meeting at his mausoleum in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
While Iltaja Mufti, granddaughter of late Mufti, had yesterday said she had been given permission to visit the mausoleum of the deceased PDP founder, authorities disallowed her to move towards Anantnag on Tuesday morning.
Talking to reporters, Iltija, daughter of incarcerated former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, said that she was not allowed to visit the mausoleum of her grandfather.
“Authorities lied to me that I will be allowed to visit the grave of my grandfather today. In fact, when I tried to meet the press, they manhandled me at the gate. I have suffered bruises on my arms and legs,” she alleged.
The Mufti scion claimed that she was being harassed by senior police officials. “Is it a crime to be a Muslim in this country?” she asked.
Iltaja has now decided to file an application to director special security group (SSG), to have her security cover withdrawn. “I don’t need to seek their permission. I only need to inform them that where I am going. I will write a letter to them tomorrow and if they will not remove my cover, then I will have to speak to a lawyer,” she said.
Iltija added that her aunt Rubaya Sayeed’s security cover has been withdrawn, making her vulnerable. "They seem to have given no consideration to the fact that my aunt was kidnapped by militants (in December,1989), her security has suddenly been removed without any reason," she said.
Mufti died on January 7 in 2016 when he was the chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and heading PDP-BJP alliance. As per his will, Mufti’s body was buried in his hometown Bijbehara in Anantnag.
Meanwhile, a PDP leader said that they had sought permission from the authorities to hold congregational prayer meeting at Mufti’s grave, “but unfortunately, the plea was turned down."
Mehbooba, along with two other former chief ministers – Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar, has been under detention since 5 August, when the Centre scrapped J&K’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcation the erstwhile state into two union territories.