Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said that while the BJP has remained silent on the issue of border tensions with China, is "suppressing" the people of Kashmir.
“Go and get the land occupied by China that has killed so many Indian soldiers. No, BJP can’t and won’t do this because it can’t overpower China. It is instead suppressing the helpless people of Kashmir,” she said.
The People's Democratic Party chief remained defiant after cops stopped her from visiting her party leaders who are in lock-up after they were detained for attempting to take out a rally in Srinagar against the land laws.
A visibly angry Mehbooba said she would not allow BJP to "rob" the resources of Jammu and Kashmir and would fight against them with the help of its people. She also accused the Centre of suppressing voices of dissent in the Valley.
“Kashmir has been turned into a jail. Nobody is allowed to express himself. Neither journalists nor civil society members are allowed to talk. Voices of dissent are curbed. People in Bihar demand jobs and food from BJP and this party tells them to go to Kashmir and purchase land there. BJP can’t think beyond elections. It is befooling people and using Kashmir in every election,” she claimed.
The PDP workers, who were planning to stage protests against the new land laws were arrested from their homes at night, she alleged. “Our office was sealed. There is complete lawlessness and people have been caged.”
She said people of Jammu and Ladakh have started coming round to the views of the people of Kashmir.
“BJP wants to loot resources of Jammu and Kashmir. People of Ladakh were airlifted to Delhi when they started protesting against the BJP’s diktats. They want to loot everything from Kashmir and we won’t allow them to do so,” Mehbooba said.
She warned that she would hit the roads to protest against New Delhi's directives. “Everyday BJP issues new edicts. Sometimes they violate domicile rules and sometimes put our land on sale. We won’t remain silent, come what may,” she said.
She alleged that the BJP of giving patronage to capitalists. “A poor who lacks food and clothes can’t buy land here but this new land law diktat is for those rich capitalists who are hand in glove with the BJP,” she said.
Mufti further said that while Kashmiris were subjected to humiliation, New Delhi and has started to target people of Jammu and Ladakh too.