SRINAGAR, Mehbooba Mufti, President of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has criticized the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for its policies in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), likening the region to a “jail”.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a recent interview in Srinagar, Mufti dismissed claims by the Modi regime of normalcy in the region. She questioned the alleged normalcy by pointing to the overcrowded Indian jails with Kashmiri youth and the pervasive silence enforced by harsh laws. Mufti highlighted that these measures have left about 70 percent of the population in a state of depression.
She also shed light on the restrictions imposed on religious preachers and clerics, who have been warned against speaking on the Palestine issue. Mufti criticized the BJP’s narrative about the situation in IIOJK, alleging that the government’s stories do not reflect the ground reality. According to her, the educational system is also being manipulated, with students frequently directed to participate in government functions instead of regular schooling.