Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said the Centre’s ban on Awami Action Committee (AAC) and Ittihadul Muslimeen (IM) could be an arm-twisting tactic and asserted the people of Kashmir now need a healing touch rather than a “muscular policy”.
Noting that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was being provided Z-Plus cover by the Centre, she said had he been an anti-national, he would not have been accorded such security.
The Centre on Tuesday banned the AAC, headed by Kashmir’s influential cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Shia leader Masroor Abbas Ansari-led IM for five years for their alleged anti-national activities, supporting terrorism and fuelling secessionist activities.
“Mirwaiz himself is a victim. His father formed this party, he (Mirwaiz’s father) was martyred. Similarly, Masroor Ansaris’s IM, these are socio-political organisations. So, I fail to understand that on one hand, the Centre, understanding the sensitivity of Mirwaiz’s security, provided Z-Plus category security to him, but on the other hand, his party is banned. I fail to understand how long will they continue their muscular policy,” the PDP chief told reporters here.
The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir said the move seems to be “an arm-twisting tactic”.
“Either the Centre is blackmailing both of them for something, to do this or that, and if they do not do that, then they take action. I do not know. I do not understand that on the one hand you give Z-Plus security to a person, but on the other hand, you ban his party,” she said.
Mufti said such things should not happen, and the people of Kashmir now need a healing touch rather than a muscular policy.
“You (Centre) have used the muscular policy a lot, and the people now need a healing touch and a softer attitude. When you take such a big action against a religious head, then you hurt the sentiments of the people of Kashmir,” she said.
Mufti said the people had expectations from the elected government that it would safeguard them, “but quite the opposite is happening”.
“Earlier, the BJP banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), it was done under the LG rule and we could not do anything about it, but we raised our voices. Today, when there is a people’s government, more atrocities are happening and the ruling party is silent and not doing anything.
“Such actions are wrong and abnormal, but because of the silence of the ruling party, these seem to be normal,” she added. — (PTI)
