Mehbooba Mufti hits out at GoI over ‘Recurrence’ of targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits living in the valley post-2019
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday attacked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the ‘recurrence’ of targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits living in the valley post-2019 when the J&K’s special status was revoked and it was bifurcated into two union territories.
Mufti questioned why Kashmir pandits are forced to flee when BJP is governing at the centre, and J&K’s lieutenant governor is also chosen by the centre.
“Since 2019, the Kashmiri Pandits are again facing targeted killings. In Shopian and other places, the Pandits, who have been here for the past 30 years, are fleeing,” Mufti told media in Anantnag after a party meeting.
Following the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit Puran Krishan Bhat, a fruit cultivator, by militants near his home in the Chowdhary Gund area of Shopian district on October 15, there were reports that around 10 families from the village have left. The district administration, Shopian, however, issued a rebuttal terming the reports as “baseless”.
This year, 17 civilians, including six non-locals, three Kashmiri Pandits and three non-Muslims have been killed in targeted attacks. Since the killing of government employee Rahul Bhat, a Pandit, in Budgam district in May, many employees recruited under the PM’s package have been protesting for relocation to Jammu.
“For the past six months, Kashmiri pandits have been protesting in Jammu. Today it is the BJP’s government in the centre, and it’s their lieutenant governor. So why are Kashmiri pandits forced to flee?” Mufti questioned.
Mufti also alleged that every recruitment process was facing corruption charges in the UT. “Everyday youth are protesting about the sub-inspector’s recruitment process or recruitment in the Jal Shakti department. Each recruitment (process) is facing corruption. I think the PM’s assertion (about 30,000 govt posts given in J&K since 2019) has rubbed salt in the wounds of youth here rather than giving them solace,” she said.
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Saturday also lashed out at the government for lying that Kashmiri Pandits were leaving the valley because of winter.
