New Delhi, October 10: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using “jawan card” and “hijacking” their sacrifices to get votes.
PDP president Mufti, who is currently under house arrest since the abrogation of Article 370, further attacked the BJP and said it does not care about “jawans or Kashmiris”.
Mufti’s comments were posted on her official Twitter handle by her daughter Iltija, who is managing it on behalf of her mother till her detention continues.
On Twitter, Mufti said: “BJP uses the Jawan card and hijacks their sacrifices to get votes. But truth is that if Kashmiris are treated as cannon fodder, troops have become pawns to contain unrest in the valley. The ruling party doesn’t care about jawans or Kashmiris. Sole concern is winning elections.”
Mufti further said that the primary purpose of the Army is to protect borders instead of engaging against protestors.
“What explains 9 lakh troops in Kashmir if everything’s normal? They aren’t there because of an imminent attack from Pak but simply to quell protests. Army’s primary responsibility is to protect borders instead of being used to crush dissent,” she said.
Mufti’s fresh attack comes on a day when the government’s tourist advisory for Kashmir ended. On August 2, the government had issued a travel advisory addressing all tourists in Kashmir to leave immediately.
While the travel advisory has been lifted, the Kashmir valley has entered the 67th day of shutdown. However, opposition parties in Kashmir including National Conference termed the move as a “half-hearted” initiative and asked how tourists would visit if Kashmir remains under a communication blockade.
Despite the government’s efforts to reduce tension in the area, an uneasy calm prevails across the valley as normal life remains disrupted. Public transport, shops and education institutions in the valley have also witnessed negligible activity since August 5.
Meanwhile, the government is planning to release three Kashmiri politicians who were also put under detention since August 5 after the government scrapped Article 370.
Yawar Mir, Noor Mohammed and Shoiab Lone will be released on various grounds which includes the signing of a bond, they said, explaining the reasons for ending their detention.
While Mir is a former MLA of the PDP from Rafiabad assembly seat, Lone contested unsuccessfully on a Congress ticket from North Kashmir and later resigned from the party. He was considered close to People’s Conference chief Sajjad Lone.
Noor Mohammed is a National Conference worker who has been managing the party’s show in the militancy-infested Batmaloo area of the Srinagar city.
Before his release, he will be signing a bond to maintain peace and good behaviour, the officials said.
The governor administration had earlier released Imran Ansari of the People’s Conference and Syed Akhoon on health grounds on September 21.
More than a thousand people, including politicians, separatists, activists and lawyers, were detained after the August 5 decision of the Central government to abrogate the special status.
(With agency inputs)
