BJP trampling on democracy, human rights in Jammu and Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti

Mehbooba Mufti said, `The country and the world should take note of how the BJP is implementing majoritarianism in the once largest democracy of the world, how the party is lecturing the world on democracy, human rights, and human values, and how it is trampling on democracy and human values in Jammu and Kashmir.`

New Delhi: In a sharp attack at the BJP, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday (November 14) said the saffron party is ‘trampling on democracy and human rights’ in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mufti said the BJP-led government is at ‘war with its own people’. "The BJP government lectures Afghanistan on inclusive government and human rights, and in Kashmir, people are jailed and booked for treason for demanding constitutional rights. Inclusiveness for the BJP in Kashmir changes to mean only people who toe its lines and propagate its agenda," PTI quoted the PDP chief as saying. 

She said the BJP is lecturing the world on democracy while trampling on it in Jammu and Kashmir. "The country and the world should take note of how the BJP is implementing majoritarianism in the once largest democracy of the world, how the party is lecturing the world on democracy, human rights, and human values, and how it is trampling on democracy and human values in Jammu and Kashmir," she added. 

Further accusing the saffron party of creating division between Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims, Mufti told PTI, “They (Kashmiri migrant Pandits) are out of their homes for such a long time and want to be back but the question is how to go about it. The way the BJP has adopted the issue is to further create a division between the two communities (Pandits and Muslims) rather than bring them together.”

She added that Kashmiri Muslims have to work harder on seeing the return of their Hindu brethren in a dignified manner. “Kashmiri Pandits need to speak in unison and reject the vested interests who are speaking venom to further the divide? May be we (the Muslims of Kashmir) have to work harder on seeing their return in a dignified manner,” the PDP chief said. 

Mufti is on a five-day visit to Jammu. A party spokesperson said Mufti visited the Peer Baba shrine in Satwari on Saturday evening. 

On Sunday, the former J&K chief minister welcomed several prominent social activists into the party. In the past two days, Mufti held a series of meetings with party workers and various delegations at the PDP headquarters. 

(With PTI inputs)