JOIN USMehbooba Mufti put under house detention again
Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday disallowed PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to visit Central Budgam district, where she was scheduled to meet some nomad Gujjar families who are being evicted by the authorities from forest land.
Mufti’s daughter Ilitija said that the PDP chief wanted to visit remote areas of Budgam where Gujjar families are being evicted. “But a heavy contingent of police and paramilitary forces reached our Gupkar residence and locked the main entry gate,” she said.
The former chief minister also posted a video on her Twitter handle showing the main gate of her Fairview’ residence in the Gupkar area of the city locked by the police. “Illegal detention has become GOIs favourite go to method for muzzling any form of opposition. Ive been detained once again because I wanted to visit Budgam where hundreds of families were evicted from their homes (sic),” she tweeted.
Illegal detention has become GOIs favourite go to method for muzzling any form of opposition. Ive been detained once again because I wanted to visit Budgam where hundreds of families were evicted from their homes. pic.twitter.com/HFQHJHPAzQ
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 8, 2020
In another tweet, she alleged, “GOI wants to continue inflicting oppression & zulm on the people of J&K without any questions asked.”
On November 26, Mufti was stopped in similar circumstances when she wanted to visit the residence of party’s youth president Waheed Para, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) last month for allegedly seeking help from the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in seeking their support in the 2019 Parliamentary elections.
Police had denied the allegation of keeping Mufti under house arrest by saying she was stopped due to “security reasons.”
State Election Commissioner (SEC) K K Sharma had recently said that Mufti being the former chief minister needs to follow the proper security protocol while venturing out of her home.