Srinagar, Jul 25, KDC: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has launched a sharp attack on PDP President Mehbooba Mufti over her recent remarks comparing Gen Z protesters at Jantar Mantar with protesters in Kashmir, accusing her of branding Kashmiri protesters as “militants.”
Calling the remarks “deeply unfortunate,” Bukhari said describing Kashmiri protesters as militants amounted to “stooping very low” and alleged that the comments reflected the same mindset Mufti had displayed while heading the government in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement, Bukhari said he was “neither shocked nor surprised” by Mufti’s remarks, claiming they were consistent with her past approach towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“After all, this is the same leader who justified the killing of Kashmiri children by asking, ‘Kya woh doodh aur toffee lane gaye the?’ (‘Had those children come out of their homes to fetch milk and toffee?’),” Bukhari said.
He alleged that during Mufti’s tenure as chief minister, pellet guns were used against protesting youth, leaving hundreds of young people blinded or with life-altering injuries.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir have not forgotten what happened during her tenure. Hundreds of young boys and girls lost their eyesight or suffered life-altering injuries because of pellet guns. These painful memories cannot be erased by political rhetoric or selective narratives,” he said.
The Apni Party chief claimed Mufti’s latest remarks had further exposed what he described as the “ruthless violence” unleashed during her tenure in government.
Taking a swipe at the PDP president, Bukhari also accused her of pursuing opportunistic politics according to changing political circumstances.
“She first went to Jantar Mantar to appease Congress leaders. Now, by branding Kashmir’s protesters as militants, she seems equally eager to appease her masters in the BJP. That’s what opportunistic politics looks like,” he said.
Bukhari said the people of Jammu and Kashmir were aware of the political developments that led to the BJP becoming part of the government in the erstwhile state and alleged that attempts were now being made to rewrite that political history.
“The people know who brought the BJP into power in the erstwhile state. They know who defended the killing of young children and under whose government pellet guns were fired at the youth of the Valley. These facts cannot be erased by speeches or selective narratives,” he said.
Bukhari also called upon the PDP leadership to clarify whether it endorsed Mufti’s remarks, saying the party owed an explanation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is now for the leaders of the PDP to decide where they stand. If they have any conscience, they should clearly state whether they support or reject their leader’s remarks describing Kashmir’s protesters as militants. At the very least, they owe that much to their own dignity, credibility, and the people they claim to represent,” he said. (KDC)
