BJP wants to ban my party because I raise my voice: Mufti

Two days after Mehbooba Mufti alleged that she was not allowed to meet an arrested youth leader of her party, the PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister on Sunday (November 29) accused the BJP of muzzling dissent and attempting to ban her party.

“They are trying to get to me. They want to ban my party. Because I raise my voice, I am repeatedly told that Article 370 is being talked about since my release. But what can I do about that?” she said.

Accusing the BJP of labelling religious groups as terrorists – Muslims as Pakistanis, Sardars as Khalistani and social activists as Urban Naxals – Mufti asked if only workers of the saffron party were legit “Hindustanis”.

She said the BJP has increased its attack on her party and its workers ever since it decided to contest the DDC election.

“After we decided to participate in the DDC election, the degree of oppression has increased in Jammu and Kashmir. Candidates of PAGD are confined and are not allowed to go out for campaigning. How will candidates contest if they are not allowed to canvass?” she said adding that the issue will continue until and unless Article 370 is not reinstated.

The PDP president on Friday had alleged that she was detained and her daughter Iltija was placed under house arrest when they tried to meet the family of the party’s youth wing president Waheed-ur-Rheman Parra, who was arrested by the NIA in a terror case on Wednesday.

The Jammu and Kashmir police had denied the charge saying that Mufti was “requested to postpone” the visit to Waheed’s house for security reasons. The same day Mufti was also barred from addressing the press at her residence.

The former chief minister was released in October this year, 14 months after she was detained along with other prominent Kashmiri leaders when the Centre abrogated Article 370 and split the state into two Union territories on August 5, last year.