Asks PDP leaders to clarify stand on Mehbooba Mufti’s alleged remarks
SRINAGAR: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday lashed out at PDP president Mehbooba Mufti over her alleged remarks comparing Gen Z protesters at Jantar Mantar with protesters in Kashmir, and branding Kashmiri protesters as militants.
Calling the remarks “deeply unfortunate”, Bukhari said describing Kashmiri protesters as militants amounted to “stooping very low” and reflected the mindset she had displayed while in power.
In a strongly worded statement, Apni Party President said he was “neither shocked nor surprised” by Mufti’s latest video statement, alleging that it was consistent with her past approach towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“After all, this is the same leader who justified the killing of Kashmiri children by asking, ‘Kya wohdoodh aur toffee lane gaye the?’ (‘Had those children come out of their homes to fetch milk and toffee?’),” he said.
Altaf Bukhari alleged that it was during the government headed by Mehbooba Mufti that pellet guns were used against protesting youth, leaving hundreds of young boys and girls blinded or permanently injured.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir have not forgotten what happened during her tenure. Hundreds of young boys and girls lost their eyesight or suffered life-altering injuries because of pellet guns. These painful memories cannot be erased by political rhetoric or selective narratives,” he said.
Apni Party president said Mufti’s latest remarks had further exposed her “for the ruthless violence that she unleashed when she was in power.”
Taking a swipe at the PDP chief, Bukhari accused her of pursuing opportunistic politics to suit changing political circumstances.“She first went to Jantar Mantar to appease Congress leaders. Now, by branding Kashmir’s protesters as militants, she seems equally eager to appease her masters in the BJP. That’s what opportunistic politics looks like,” he said.
Bukhari further said the people of Jammu and Kashmir were fully aware of the political developments that led to the BJP becoming part of the government in the erstwhile state and would not be misled by attempts to rewrite history.
“The people know who brought the BJP into power in the erstwhile state. They know who defended the killing of young children and under whose government pellet guns were fired at the youth of the Valley. These facts cannot be erased by speeches or selective narratives,” he said.
Calling upon the PDP leadership to make its position clear, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said the party owed an explanation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is now for the leaders of the PDP to decide where they stand. If they have any conscience, they should clearly state whether they support or reject their leader’s remarks describing Kashmir’s protesters as militants. At the very least, they owe that much to their own dignity, credibility, and the people they claim to represent,” he said.