Mehbooba Mufti Criticizes Center, Claims J&K Being Reduced to Municipality, Appeals to Opposition for Support

Mufti questioned whether joining India was a mistake, citing the locking of the martyrs' graveyard and the suppression of tributes. She condemned the recent MHA ordinance that she claims has reduced the Jammu and Kashmir assembly to a municipality, stripping it of its power.

In an exclusive statement to Zee News, Mehbooba Mufti said, "Today, the 13th, is the day of our martyrs who gave their lives to liberate the country from dictatorship so that there could be democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. This was the reason that despite being a Muslim-majority state, Jammu and Kashmir joined hands with India, with the belief that Jammu and Kashmir could become a prosperous, democratic country," Mufti said.

She added, "But today, Kashmiris are thinking, 'Did we make a mistake by joining India?' Adding to that, she said, 'When we were to pay tributes to our martyrs, the Mazar-e-Shodha (martyrs' graveyard) was locked, and we too were kept inside.'"

"Not only this, but today an order came which further degraded the people of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was divided. People are being fired from their jobs over small issues. Jammu and Kashmir has become completely silent, but the Center is still afraid of us. Otherwise, why would they not allow us to remember our martyrs?" Mehbooba said. Reacting to today's MHA ordinance, Mufti said, "You brought such an ordinance that has converted the assembly of Jammu and Kashmir into a Municipality. So that if any party other than the BJP (which can never form a government in Jammu and Kashmir) comes to power here, it would not have any authority to govern Jammu and Kashmir."

Criticizing the Center, Mufti said, "If you do not trust the people here, then why have you kept them with you? You talk of bringing other parts of Kashmir under your control, yet you have made the lives of the people in this part of Kashmir difficult. Was this the promise of Gandhi and Nehru to the people of Jammu and Kashmir?" Addressing the people of the country and the opposition, Mehbooba said, "I want to tell the entire country, especially the opposition, that Jammu and Kashmir is a laboratory. Tomorrow, the same could happen to you. They (BJP) can do it to Punjab or Maharashtra. See, can you free Kejriwal today? If our constitution is being twisted today, tomorrow it may happen to you," she said.

Appealing to the people and the opposition, she said, "I appeal to the people of Gandhi's country to save Jammu and Kashmir. Aren't the people of Jammu and Kashmir yours? Do you only want the land? If you want the land, then decide once and for all. But what do you want to prove by insulting us in this way?" she asked.

"I hope that this time the opposition will not remain silent on what the Center has done to a powerful assembly by converting it into a Municipality. I hope you (the opposition) will speak up about this."