Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir – Political tensions have escalated in Jammu and Kashmir following remarks made by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where she drew parallels between Gen Z protesters and agitators in the Valley. Her statements, perceived by rivals as justifying past crackdowns under the guise of combating militancy, have drawn sharp criticism and calls for an apology.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, Mufti, during her appearance at the Delhi protest site earlier this week, appeared to defend the past use of pellet guns in Kashmir, contrasting it with police action against students in the national capital. She stated that actions in Kashmir were different because security forces were engaged in fighting militancy.
The National Conference (NC) was among the first to strongly condemn Mufti’s remarks. The party posted on its official X handle, formerly Twitter, stating, “If you happen to be a Kashmiri who is protesting for his/her rights, ‘aap pe force use karna to banta hai’ (it is justified to use force against you). Wow.”
NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar further accused the PDP chief of unapologetically defending the use of force against local youth and children. Dar posted on X, “I am appalled beyond words. @MehboobaMufti unabashedly and casually brands every Kashmiri protester a ‘militant’. The kids, the little girls… just everyone was a militant, she says. Even shame must be ashamed today. Her hypocrisy is uglier than what I believed.”
Tanvir Sadiq, an NC leader and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Zadibal, questioned the implications of such statements, asking if everyday civil demonstrations were now being equated with armed resistance. “Are those who protest against reservation militants? Are those who protest for basic amenities also militants? This is shameful coming from a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sadiq stated, adding that Mufti owed an immediate apology to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Altaf Bukhari, president of the Apni Party, expressed that he was neither shocked nor surprised by Mufti’s remarks, referencing her controversial tenure as chief minister during the 2016 summer unrest in the Valley. Bukhari invoked Mufti’s 2016 statement, “Kya woh doodh aur toffee lane gaye the?” (Had those children gone out to fetch milk and toffees?), which was widely seen as a justification for the deaths of young Kashmiri protesters.
Bukhari emphasized that the human cost of her administration’s policies remained a painful memory for the region. “It was under her government that pellet guns were used against protesting children. Hundreds of young boys and girls lost their eyesight or suffered permanent injuries because of those pellets. These are painful memories that no amount of political rhetoric can erase,” he said.
While PDP leaders declined to comment officially on the controversial statements, some party functionaries indicated, on condition of anonymity, that Mufti’s remarks might have been taken out of context.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
