Amid chaos over the killing of ex-serviceman Manzoor Ahmad Wagay, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Wednesday questioned the silence of Omar Abdullah government in Jammu and Kashmir over young boys in multiple districts of the valley being allegedly “picked up”. “Not only in Kulgam but Budgam and Ganderbal, young boys are being picked up and I want to ask the government are all of them militants? Why are they looking at everyone with suspicion? This is wrong,” Mufti told reporters here. She trained guns at the National Conference government in Jammu and Kashmir, asking them to speak up on the issue. “I want to ask the NC (National Conference) government, who has been brought to power with majority, why are you silent? What remains the difference between now and before? Earlier also, young boys were being picked up and sent to jail under UAPA and PSA. You formed the government with 50 MLAs, you should speak up,” Mufti said. The PDP leader further claimed that 500 young boys had been rounded up in the Kulgam, Budgam and Ganderbal districts of the valley while lashing out at the ministers in the state government for not giving statements on the issue. “The elders here have told me that officially 500 young boys have been picked up. Why is the state government silent?… Why the whole atmosphere is being vitiated?… Not even a single state minister has given any statement regarding it,” she added. Earlier, BJP leader Ravinder Raina condemned the killing of a retired Army soldier in a terror attack in south Kashmir’s Kulgam and said that attempts are being made to destabilize peace and the terrorists will have to pay a heavy price for their sins. Manzoor Ahmad Wagay was shot dead by terrorists in the Behibagh area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam on Monday, while his wife Aaina Akhtar (32) and niece Saina Hameed (13) were also injured in the incident, the Army has said. Mourning Wagay’s demise, the Ex-serviceman’s younger brother said, “He used to stay at home. He retired in 2021. Our only demand is that we want justice and nothing else. He was running his own business.” The mortal remains of the ex-serviceman were brought to his residence in his village in Kulgam. The Army launched the Joint Cordon & Search Operation was launched at Behibagh after the attack. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has condemned the killing and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. “Deeply saddened by the tragic killing of ex-serviceman Manzoor Ahmad Wagay Sahab in Kulgam. My heartfelt condolences to his family, and prayers for the swift recovery of his injured wife… Such heinous violence has no place in our society and must be condemned in the strongest terms. May peace and justice prevail,” Abdullah said.
