Rightwing groups protest Mehbooba Mufti’s arrival in Jammu
Jammu: PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti reached Jammu today amid protests organised by different right-wing groups outside the Jammu airport.
PDP president was shown black flags at the Jammu airport by local Shiv Sena and Rashtriya Bajrang Dal activists protesting against her remarks on the national flag.
The activists asked the former chief minister to go back and threatened to disrupt law and order here if she was allowed to carry forward her Gupkar Agenda in Jammu.
Led by youth leaders Rakesh Kumar and Manish Kumar, the Shiv Sena Sena and Rashtriya Bajrang Dal activists blocked the road on the Jammu airport and showed black flags on her arrival.
However, a strong contingent of police personnel restricted the movement of the protesters and escorted Mufti safely out of the airport.
Amid chants of ‘Mehbooba Mufti Hai Hai’ and ‘Mehbooba go back’, the activists, including women, appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha not to allow the meeting of the Gupkar Alliance in Jammu on November 07.
Jammu and Kashmir’s mainstream political parties, including the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, and Peoples Conference formed the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on October 15 for restoration of special status of the erstwhile state and also to initiate a dialogue between all the stakeholders on the issue.
National Conference president, Dr Farooq Abdullah is also visiting Jammu tomorrow and is scheduled to hold a meeting of the party leaders at their headquarters.
On November 07, the PAGD will also hold its first meeting in Jammu at the residence of Dr Farooq Abdullah at Bathindi.
“We will not allow it to happen. We will go there and hold protests. No anti-India meeting will be held on the soil of Jammu,” Shiv Sena leader Manish Kumar told reporters.
“Mufti’s visit to Jammu can disturb the law and order situation and it is up to the government to take a call to ensure no meeting takes place here,” he said.
Rashtriya Bajrang Dal head Rakesh Kumar also said they will not allow the meeting of the PAGD to take place in Jammu.
“She has come here today with the Gupkar Agenda. We will not allow it here. We warn all those who will take part in their Gupkar Agenda,” Kumar said.
He hit out at Mufti for her remarks on the national flag.
“We have protested against her with black flags. We have shown her black flags because she has always insulted the tricolour and also the law or land,” he added.
Protests were staged outside the PDP office last month after Mufti said she was not interested in contesting elections or holding the tricolour till the constitutional changes enforced on August 05 last year are rolled back.
Following the PDP chief’s statements, the BJP had accused her of making “seditious remarks” and had demanded her arrest.
Kashmir Images is an English language daily newspaper published from Srinagar (J&K), India. The newspaper is one of the largest circulated English dailies of Kashmir and its hard copies reach every nook and corner of Kashmir Valley besides Jammu and Ladakh region.
