BJP wants to create own ecosystem, institutions compromised: Mehbooba Mufti

The PDP chief said participation of people in District Development Council (DDC) polls doesn’t mean the Kashmir issue is over.

PDP chief: China grabbed our land and we are talking to them...why don’t you talk to Pakistan. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

Accusing the BJP of creating “an ecosystem where there is no real space for democracy”, PDP president and former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday alleged that the country’s institutions were at the “forefront of implementing” the ruling party’s agenda.

“They want to create their own ecosystem where they want to install their puppets and their B-teams,” Mufti told reporters. “It is unfortunate that all our institutions, which should have safeguarded democracy, which should have safeguarded the rights of the people, even though they swear by the Constitution, are at the forefront of implementing the BJP’s agenda in totality… our institutions have been compromised,” she said.

She asked if India can talk to China, why not Pakistan. “China has grabbed our land and we are talking to them… Here on the border, people are dying from both sides. Why don’t you talk to Pakistan. Is it about being a Muslim country because everything is communal now,” she said.

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Mufti said she had received messages, warning her not to talk about Article 370 or the Kashmir issue. “They have told me earlier and they are telling me today as well … directly and indirectly … That I provoke the people. The only thing they are trying to do is to get to me but they are not getting anything (against me). They want to ban my party,” she said. “I want to tell them when their ministers come here, nine out of 10 times they only talk about Article 370. When I talk about it, they get rattled.”

“If by abrogating (Article) 370, the issue has been resolved, what is the Army doing here? They should have been at the border,” she said.

The PDP chief said participation of people in District Development Council (DDC) polls doesn’t mean the Kashmir issue is over.

She claimed that candidates of the Gupkar alliance had been confined to their homes while others had freedom to campaign.

Bashaarat Masood

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More

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