Politics

Didn’t visit militant family on my own, was invited, says Mehbooba

Srinagar: On the death anniversary of PDP founder and her late father Mufti Sayeed, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that she didn’t go to meet the militant family on her own but was invited.

Mehbooba, while addressing a handful of party workers in Bijbehara apologized for the ‘toffee remark’ she made during the 2016 public uprising.

“I was invited by the family of the militant whose sister was arrested and harassed. They wanted me to send a message by visiting their home. It was not for electoral gains,” Mehbooba said.

Addressing a handful of workers on the death anniversary of his father late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed at Bijbehara in south Kashmir, Mehbooba said that she was concerned like a mother about the young people who were getting killed and injured.

Addressing the youth who were killed in 2016 as “martyrs”, she said: “It hurt me that some people with vested interests were pushing young boys towards army camps and police stations,” she said.

“Didn’t I have this right to tell these children in a loud voice that you were part of my rallies… why were you asked to stand in the front of those rallies (protest demonstrations) where you, God forbid, got injured,” said Mehbooba.

She added, “I still apologise if anyone was hurt,” she said: “What else can I do?”

During the peak of 2016 summer uprising after the killing of popular militant commander Burhan Wani, Mehbooba while addressing a press conference in Srinagar along with the Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh justified the killing of youth by saying that “they were not going to camps and police station to buy toffees and milk”.

Mehbooba also added that Narendra Modi ‘wasted’ his mandate as he didn’t initiate any dialogue with Pakistan.

Click to comment
To Top