Kashmir is a ticking bomb, says Iltija Mufti; does not rule out entering politics

Iltija Mufti, daughter of detained former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, addressing a press conference at the Indian Women’s Press Corps in New Delhi on Feb 18, 2020

By Naz Asghar

Feb 18, 2020
New Delhi: Iltija Mufti, daughter of detained former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, on Tuesday slammed the BJP Government at the Centre accusing it of turning Kashmir into a ticking bomb and urged Home Minister Amit Shah to go to Kashmir to see for himself.

“People are angry, if Home Minister Amit Shah walks on the streets in Kashmir, I will salute him,” Iltija said in an interaction with journalists at the Indian Women’s Press Corps here.

People were today wanting ”Aazadi” not of the so-called ‘tukde tukde gang’ but freedom from repression and injustice.

”My loyalties are not with the BJP, so it does not mean that I am anti-India,” Ilteja said.

She wanted to know why the BJP formed government with a party headed by her mother when she is being branded as ”anti-national”.

“Was the BJP sleeping? Was it in coma?” She said recalling that when the BJP had struck an alliance with the PDP, it had said that it will not touch Article 370,” recalled 32-year-old daughter of Mehbooba Mufti.

When asked whether the people were disenchanted with the PDP and the NC, she replied in the positive, adding that they were angry with us for making them trust the Centre for being the flag bearer of India. She said former Chief Ministers, her mother and Omar Abdullah, acted as a buffer in Kashmir which the government has removed by abrogating Article 370.

It is not only the people of the valley but of Jammu and Ladakh too were unhappy with the change in the status of Kashmir, Ms Mufti asserted.

Kashmir needs a political solution, as it is not an issue of economy or finance, she underlined.

When Ms Mufti expressed here disappointment with the institutions, including the court, she was asked whether her party would approach the International Court of Justice, to which she said Kashmiris should sue the Modi government and they would be left with no choice if the Indian the Indian judicial system failed to give them justice. She, however, added that this was a hypothetical question.

Expressing her outrage over the ban on social media in Kashmir, she said it is “absurd” that Kashmiris are not allowed to access social media.

The J&K government has banned all social media sites in Kashmir to curb what they called ”their misuse for propagating rumours and false information”.

On Monday, the J&K police said it has registered an FIR against social media users who defied government orders and misused social media platforms.

“I will go to Kashmir and use VPN, let them slap an FIR on me,” she asserted.

Asked why did she not approach the Supreme Court for the release of her mother Mehbooba Mufti, like the Abdullah family did for Omar and Farooq Abdullah, Iltija Mufti said that she had lost her faith in the Indin courts .

“While whistleblower Sanjeev Bhatt is in jail, Chinmayanand – the rapist – has been given bail. Those who is behind 2002 Gujarat riot are told do social service. It is a travesty of justice. I am let down by the courts.”

Replying to another question, she did not rule out entering politics through she said was not yet ready take the plunge.

“I don’t think I will be a good politician.For now , I have no plan, but if I join politics tomorrow I am not to be questioned,” she added.

—India News Stream