Mehbooba and gov clash over Army ‘atrocity’ in J&K

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday triggered another controversy by saying that nobody should take former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s statements seriously as her Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) was breaking up and she was trying to save the party with remarks directed against the security forces and India’s political system.

Mr Malik, speaking on the sidelines of a function in Jammu, said: “Elections are around the corner, her party is breaking up. Her party is in a bad shape”. He added: “She had come to power by stirring anti-India sentiments. Nobody should take her statements seriously.” The governor added that Ms Mufti’s remark will not affect the security forces’ morale.

The former chief minister had earlier tweeted, after visiting a Srin-agar hospital to meet a youth from Pulwama district who had been allegedly thrashed by an Army officer who also reportedly threatened to kill him in an encounter: “Visited Tawseef Wani who was allegedly beaten up by an Army major so ruthlessly that he had to be hospitalised. The irony is that his brother serves in the Army.” The father of the youth had allegedly been killed by militants earlier.

In another tweet, Ms Mufti said: “Kashmir is a political issue and can’t be resolved through military power. Armymen hailed as heroes for their bravery also need to be held accountable if they commit human rights violations... So please let’s call a spade a spade instead of accusing us of demonising the Army. I have also spoken to the corps commander to take note of this incident”.

Reacting sharply to the governor’s assertions, the PDP president tweeted: “Instead of taking cognisance of the brutality that the young boy has been subjected to, and ordering action against the culprits, it is sad that the honourable governor is talking politics instead. Saddened to see the constitutional authorities taking sides so brazenly.”

Another former chief minister, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah, also took exception to the governor’s statement. He tweeted: “Governor Sahib this is an unacceptable statement & an unnecessary interference in politics. At this rate it won’t be long before people stop taking Raj Bhavan seriously so please consider the office you occupy before you give statements.”

Ms Mufti had earlier on Wednesday said that it was difficult to differentiate between the Congress and the BJP as the politics of both parties was driven by Hindutva. She tweeted: “The Yogi government (Uttar Pradesh) withdrew cases against accused in Muzaffarabad riots. The Madhya Pradesh government slapped PSA (NSA) against three accused of cow slaughter. From UP to MP, political lines are getting blurred and it is difficult to differentiate between the Congress and the BJP. Hindutva drives the real politics in modern India.”

She was reacting to the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh recommending the withdrawal of 38 criminal cases against 100 accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 and the MP Congress government invoking the National Security Act against three accused in a cow slaughter case.

Meanwhile, former MLA and Awami Itehad Party leader Engineer Rashid said the governor’s statement over Ms Mufti’s assertions was a confession that anti-India sentiment were deep-rooted and New Delhi’s “own people” cannot survive by openly supporting its “aggression”.