'Govt is confused & has no clarity on J-K': Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija slams Centre

Daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Iltija Mufti said that the Central government is confused and lacks clarity on the issue of the former state, which has now been made a Union Territory. She also stated that ever since the Centre scrapped J&K's special status, the region has grappled with an economic, psychological and emotional crisis.

'The government does not know what they want to do'

Speaking on the issue of foreign envoy's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Iltija Mufti said, "First the Central government said Kashmir is an internal problem and then they themselves bring envoys. But when other envoys want to visit then they (Centre) says this is our internal issue."

"I think the government is very confused, they themselves have no clarity. They are taking the envoys and allowing them to meet with selected people. The government itself does not know what they want to do. Surely this is not for the development of Jammu and Kashmir," she added.

Speaking about Mehbooba Mufti, who is currently booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), she said "The charges against her are false and baseless. Why BJP had no problem when they were with PDP, why today we are anti-national, why my mother is anti-national? I ask them."

Talking about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1989, Iltija Mufti said what happened was extremely painful but there was no bad blood between the Hindu and Muslim communities in Kashmir. "People think that Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims are at each other's throat but that is not the case," she said, while "publicly apologising" for the exodus.

Iltija has been handling the social media account of her mother

Iltija made the statements at a press conference held at Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) in Delhi on Tuesday. Mehbooba along with several mainstream leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including NC leader Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah are under detention since August 5, 2019. Iltija has been handling the social media account of her mother since she was put under detention.

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She was placed under detention shortly before the Union government passed two legislations to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution revoking the erstwhile state's special status and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories.

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(With agency inputs) (Photo credits: PTI)