Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has triggered a political row after remarks she made at the Jantar Mantar protest in New Delhi, where she distinguished the use of force against protesters in Kashmir from police action against students in Delhi.
Addressing protesters earlier this week, Mehbooba said the situation in Kashmir was different as security forces were fighting militancy, while criticising the use of force against student demonstrators in Delhi. Her remarks were widely interpreted by rivals as an attempt to justify the use of pellet guns and other force against protesters in the Valley.
The comments sparked sharp reactions from rival parties, with the National Conference (NC) accusing the former chief minister of defending the use of force against Kashmiris.
In a post on X, the NC said, “If you happen to be a Kashmiri who is protesting for his/her rights, ‘aap pe force use karna to banta hai’ (it is justified to use force against you). Wow.” NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar alleged that Mehbooba had casually branded Kashmiri protesters as militants.
“I am appalled beyond words. @MehboobaMufti unabashedly and casually brands every Kashmiri protester a ‘militant’. The kids, the little girls… just everyone was a militant, she says,” Dar wrote, adding, “Even shame must be ashamed today. Her hypocrisy is uglier than what I believed.”
NC leader and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq demanded an apology from Mehbooba, questioning whether those protesting over issues such as reservation or civic amenities should now be viewed as militants.
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari also criticised the PDP chief, recalling her controversial 2016 “milk and toffee” remark made during the unrest in Kashmir.
“This is, after all, the same leader who justified the killing of Kashmiri children by asking, ‘Kya woh doodh aur toffee lane gaye the?'” Bukhari said. He added that pellet guns used during her tenure as chief minister had left hundreds of children and young people blinded or permanently injured.
The PDP did not issue an official response. However, party leaders, speaking unofficially, maintained that Mehbooba’s remarks had been taken out of context.
