Terms UT Foundation Day as ‘black day’
Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Oct 31: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti today termed the Union Territory Foundation Day a “black day” for the people of the region.
Speaking to reporters in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Mufti said that today marks a black day for Jammu and Kashmir, and this sentiment will persist until the special rights of the region are restored.
“What happened to J&K has not occurred anywhere else. It is the first time a State has been downgraded to a Union Territory, whereas typically, the reverse is true. In 1947, J&K decided to join democratic India against tradition, believing that our special identity would allow us to live with dignity,” she said.
Mufti asserted that BJP aims to send a message to Muslims and minorities across the country that if they can treat Muslims in J&K unfairly, they can do it anywhere. “The BJP wants to convey to all minorities that if they can treat a Muslim-majority State like this-depriving it of its special rights and exploiting its resources-they can do so anywhere,” she added.
The PDP Chief said that her party will continue the struggle until J&K regains its “snatched rights” and the J&K issue is resolved to bring lasting peace to the region.
Mufti voiced strong criticism of the BJP Government, claiming that J&K has become a “laboratory” for the ruling party’s experiments, aimed at sending a message to minorities across the country.
“I have repeatedly said that J&K has been turned into a laboratory by the BJP Government, where they conduct various experiments to signal to minorities nationwide. J&K, despite being a Muslim-majority State, chose to ally with a democratic India in 1947 in a move away from convention. But today, the BJP wants to demonstrate to minorities that if it can treat a Muslim-majority region like this-stripping it of special powers, exploiting its resources, and ripping it apart-they can do the same elsewhere, she said.”
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