Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday accused the Jammu and Kashmir administration of sabotaging her youth convention at her residence in Srinagar in the name of Covid protocols and roughing up her workers
People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday accused the Jammu and Kashmir administration of sabotaging her youth convention at her residence in Srinagar in the name of Covid protocols and roughing up her workers. The police responded saying the local administration had advised the PDP to apply for holding this convention in a more open area in view of Covid-19 and security reasons.
In a series of video messages on Twitter and then a press conference, Mehbooba said the administration remembers Covid-19 only when she decides to meet the youth of the Valley.
“From the past one week, all the leaders and parties have been organising meetings and rallies in every corner of the Valley and when the PDP decided to do the same in my own home why were we stopped,” she said.
“They are sabotaging (us). New ways are found to usurp the rights of youth here to take them away from democracy and push them towards violence,” she said.
Later at a press conference, Mehbooba said they were preparing for the youth convention as all political parties were organising rallies in the Valley these days.
“Congress, National Conference, Apni Party or People’s Conference –all are conducting meetings and we had also made a programme,” she said.
She said they had written to the deputy commissioner for some space for organising the youth convention some time back. “But we got no response to that. Even Covid was not that much at that time,” she said.
She said that when she decided to go to a youth convention the administration stopped her and sent her a communication citing Covid.
“The youths were not only stopped but they were assaulted and roughed up. Their clothes were torn and their mobiles were snatched at places. A few were put in police stations,” she alleged. “Even today Omar Abdullah is holding a rally at Anantnag and two days ago, Apni Party had a joining programme,” she said.
A police spokesman said in the convention a gathering of at least 1,000 people was expected.
“Given the prevalent Covid situation and larger security implications resulting from allowing such a large number of people and accompanying cars and vehicles into a high-security zone, it was not advisable to allow such a large flow of people and unchecked vehicles,” the spokesman said.
“There are credible inputs of vehicle-bound IEDs being used to target civilians and high-security installations. The Gupkar Road houses high-security buildings of various organisations and security-sensitive establishments and intelligence agencies. Allowing a large number of vehicles to be parked in this high-security zone would have jeopardised the security in the area,” the spokesman said.
“It is incorrect that Mehbooba is under house arrest. However, the local administration had advised the PDP to apply for holding this convention in a more open area in view of Covid-19 and security reasons,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Sajad Lone’s People’s Conference on Sunday accused the administration of denying them to organise a convention in Kupwara.
“It is highly unfortunate that repeated requests by JKPC to hold a convention in Kupwara are denied due to Covid concerns while other parties are facilitated and allowed a free hand to hold public rallies, “ the party said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, NC vice-president Omar Abdullah addressed a gathering at the Dak Bungalow in Anantnag.
