SRINAGAR, Oct 26 (Agencies): Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday alleged that the principles of trust, secularism and protection of Jammu and Kashmir’s distinct identity, which she said had underpinned its accession to India, had been eroded over the years.
Addressing a gathering on Accession Day, the former chief minister said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had chosen to join India in the belief that its founding leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, envisaged a secular nation where people of different religions could coexist.
She said the accession was accompanied by constitutional safeguards aimed at protecting the region’s identity, land and employment opportunities. The people had placed their trust in the country’s leadership, she added, expecting their distinct interests to be preserved.
Referring to the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Mufti alleged that the move had aggravated the difficulties facing Jammu and Kashmir’s people and undermined their sense of security and political rights.
Recalling Nehru’s vision of making Jammu and Kashmir a “show window” for the world, she said the region had been promised a special place within the Indian Union.
The PDP chief also expressed concern over arrests, raids, travel restrictions and the alleged withholding of passports belonging to young people, which she said had deprived them of opportunities. She criticised what she described as excessive security restrictions, alleging that people continued to face obstacles in exercising democratic rights and expressing their views.
“BJP considers this silence to be peace. It is not peace; it is terror,” Mufti said, arguing that restrictions on public expression should not be interpreted as a return to normalcy.
Appealing to people across the country to reflect on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, she urged them to uphold the democratic and secular ideals associated with India’s founding leadership.
“This is not right. Instead of using force, hold its hand and teach it to walk with you,” she said, advocating dialogue and democratic engagement rather than relying on coercive measures.
Mufti said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir should be approached as an issue involving humanity and democratic rights, rather than addressed through force alone.