SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party Chief Mehbooba Mufti, while condemning the stringent measures implemented by the Modi government in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), has said that hundreds of Kashmiri youth have been detained and booked under draconian Public Safety Act ahead of Indian parliamentary elections in the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing reporters in Zainpora, Shopian, Mufti described the prevailing atmosphere in Kashmir as one of suffocation, where even the freedom to express opinions is restricted. She criticized the Indian forces for initiating youth arrests prior to the elections, questioning the contradiction between claims of normalcy and escalating arrests.
Mufti emphasized that the arrests weren’t limited to specific districts like Shopian or Pulwama but were widespread across the entire valley. She highlighted a recent incident in Shopian where a tourist guide was shot and injured, calling it unfortunate. However, she denounced the disproportionate response of rounding up hundreds of youth, subjecting them to the PSA, and imprisoning them.
Mufti’s visit to Shopian marked the beginning of her election campaign for the Islamabad-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency. She stated her campaign’s objective as raising awareness against the enforced silence, arbitrary arrests, and stifling atmosphere prevalent in the region.
