Mehbooba Mufti Condemns FIR Against Kashmiri Pandits, Urges Dialogue on NFSA

Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti condemned the FIR against Kashmiri Pandit activists opposing NFSA, warning that criminalising dissent erodes democratic space and undermines displaced migrant’s identity, relief, and rehabilitation safeguards.  

However, Mufti stressed that the anxieties voiced by the Pandit community stem from decades of displacement and trauma.

Successive governments, she said, have acknowledged their distinct identity, which now requires empathy and dialogue rather than intimidation.

Meanwhile, several Pandit organisations have rejected the move to subsume migrant relief rations under NFSA, fearing dilution of their special status and erosion of mechanisms created for families displaced in the 1990s.

Reacting to police action, Mufti said the growing tendency to respond to protests with FIRs is “deeply worrying” and reflects an unhealthy approach towards democracy. “Peaceful protest cannot be treated as a criminal act,” she added.

She urged the administration to withdraw the FIR and initiate transparent dialogue with community representatives.

“The pain and displacement suffered by Kashmiri Pandits is a reality that cannot be ignored. Any policy decision affecting them must be taken only after meaningful consultation,” she said.

Mufti further emphasised that governments must create space for peaceful expression, warning that police action against dissent only deepens mistrust and alienation.