JK PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Thursday that the Supreme Court’s comments on the Pahalgam attack, made during the hearing of a plea seeking restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, reflect the Centre's low confidence in the region’s stability.
In an indirect jibe at the Union government, Mehbooba said that despite revoking special status and downgrading the state to a UT, the Centre does not want to ease its tight control over the region.
She described the prevailing situation as a political and psychological deadlock.
She further said that unless the Centre addresses the political aspirations of the people and the core issues head-on, the region will remain unstable regardless of the forces it deploys there.
Known for her bold remarks, Mehbooba Mufti does not shy away from making statements that might stir political controversy.
She was in alliance with the BJP in 2014, when her late father decided to partner with the party over a promise that Mufti would rule the state for five years, with no discussion on the abrogation of Article 370. However, the coalition collapsed when the BJP pulled its support from the government.
The move was particularly not welcomed by political parties, the religious clergy, or voters who had given a mandate to the PDP in 2014.
The abrogation of Article 370 and the loss of statehood have dealt a major blow not only to Mehbooba Mufti but also to her party, which is struggling to retain its stronghold in South Kashmir.
She said the Supreme Court should take suo motu cognisance of the “electoral fraud” charges levelled by the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, as safeguarding the integrity of elections must take precedence over all other concerns.
Mehbooba said the evidence provided by Rahul Gandhi in the case of electoral fraud raises key issues which are aimed at undermining the democratic process and institutions of the country.
"Safeguarding the integrity of elections must take precedence over all other concerns if we are to preserve our identity as a democratic nation," she said.
Also Read: SC seeks Centre’s reply on J&K statehood plea
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