National Conference leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq on Monday defended party president Farooq Abdullah’s remarks on certain leaders allegedly trying to create chaos in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the comments were clearly directed at PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter, Iltija Mufti.
A political controversy erupted in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday after the police foiled a proposed protest against the existing reservation policy by placing several leaders, including Srinagar MP and NC leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and Peoples Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti, under house arrest and sealing the park where the sit-in was scheduled to be held.
Defending the detentions, NC president Farooq Abdullah accused the leaders behind the protest of attempting to create disorder.
“You should ask those leaders what they wanted to do. We are doing as much as we can. Perhaps, they do not like that the state is progressing. They want turmoil, which we will not allow to happen,” Abdullah said on Sunday.
Asked about Abdullah’s remarks that some leaders were trying to create turmoil, Sadiq — who is also the chief spokesperson for the National Conference — said the statement was aimed at the PDP leadership.
“Whoever he is talking about, think about it yourself. The daughter is saying that she is detained and the mother is going here and there. This was about them,” Sadiq told media in Srinagar.
On Sunday Iltija Mufti had said she was placed under house arrest ahead of the students’ protest. As she lives with her mother, Mehbooba Mufti, the move led to speculation that the former chief minister was also detained. However, Mehbooba was allowed to travel to Anantnag to attend a party function.
Sadiq questioned the restrictions imposed on the protest and said the law-and-order situation was not under the control of the elected government, making it “common sense” that they had no role in stopping the demonstration.
“Even yesterday I said that the students should be allowed to protest peacefully. It is wrong to stop them,” Sadiq said.
Questioning the selective enforcement of restrictions, the NC chief spokesman added, “When they can come to the Chief Minister’s gate (referring to last year’s protests by students), why can’t they go to other places? If it was okay then, how can it be wrong today? I think it was wrong.”
He reiterated that stopping students from protesting peacefully was unjustified and contrary to democratic principles.
