SRINAGAR — People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti Sunday blamed government for keeping youth away from democracy so that they follow a path of violence and it becomes easy for them to kill, beat and jail them.
“The government is doing this with youth for the last three years. They are not allowing youth to come from their homes. Thousands of youth from the Valley wanted to come today to hear us. They wanted to talk on J-K situation,” former Chief Minister alleged after government disallowed PDP youth convention Srinagar.
Alleging that the government is scared of youth, Mehbooba said, “We will continue to struggle peacefully and democratically for J-K’s peace, prosperity, dignity and resolution of the Kashmir issue.”
“PM Modi talked to the US president Joe Biden on Indian democracy recently but there is no sign of democracy in J-K,” she said.
“I have been telling that we, especially the youth, have to be united and tell them (the government) that we are not afraid. Had we been afraid, then why would we have chosen this path. Like other parties, we too would have made comprises. Had we done that, we would not have been denied permission to hold a meeting inside the house on the pretext of Covid,” she added.
The PDP chief alleged that they have left nothing for us. “They are snatching our land, jobs and resources. They are looting it. And this loot is not ending. They are working like dacoits”.
“I wonder why the rulers are afraid of youth and our party. When they are not afraid of other parties, why are they scared of us,” she added.
The authorities on Sunday disallowed the PPD youth convention citing Covid restrictions and placed the party chief and former J-K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti under house detention.
A PDP leader said the party’s youth convention was scheduled to be held at Mehbooba’s Gupkar residence today.
The event was scheduled to begin at 11 am at PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s Gupkar Road residence.
However, in an order, the Executive Magistrate of South Srinagar said that the “scheduled youth convention by the PDP is not allowed” following a report from the Senior Superintendent of Police and in view of Covid-19 protocols.
Police on Sunday said that it was not ‘advisble’ to hold any public gathering in high security Gupkar area here amid inputs about “vehicle bound IEDs being used to target civilians and security establishments” even as it denied placing PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti under house arrest.
“It was learnt that PDP was scheduled to hold a Youth Convention at Fairview, a government bungalow which is also the residence of Ms Mehbooba Mufti, on Gupkar Road,” a police spokesperson said.
“Gathering of at least 1000 people was expected. Given the prevalent Covid situation and larger security implications resulting from allowing such a large number of people and accompanying cars and vehicles into a high security zone, it was not advisable to allow such a large flow of people and unchecked vehicles.”
He said there are “credible inputs of vehicle bound IEDs being used to target civilians and high security installations.”
“The Gupkar Road houses high security buildings of various organisations and security sensitive establishments and intelligence agencies.” He said allowing large number of vehicles to be parked in this high security zone would have jeopardised the security in the area. “It is pertinent to mention that no such gatherings and amassing of vehicles were allowed on the road earlier too.”
Moreover, he said, no official residence has been known to have hosted large political rallies on Gupkar Road in the recent past.
“Legal Orders for necessary restrictions on the convention were passed by the Executive Magistrate, South Srinagar keeping in mind the COVID protocol and security sensitiveness of Gupkar zone,” he said, adding, “It is completely incorrect that Mufti is under house arrest.”
However, he said, local administration had advised PDP to apply for holding this convention in a more open area in view of Covid-19 and security reasons.