Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti Sunday said that the country is going through tumultuous circumstances and that it is the first time in the history of India that “elections are being rigged before conduct of polls”.
Speaking to a gathering of political leaders and activists at Ramlila Maidan New Delhi where INDIA bloc has organized a rally ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Mufti said “India is going through a tumultuous phase. The opponents from the political class are being sent to lock-ups without providing them a free and fair trial. They are being victimized. I’m not talking about Sidiq Kapan, Mohammad Zubair, rather I’m talking of your elected representatives who have been elected by you through your previous vote. It is very sad how they are being falsely implicated in corruption cases and detained without any trial.”
As per news agency KNS, Mufti said the ongoing turbulent situation in the country is not new for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “We have witnessed the same situation in J&K for the last five years. Thousands of J&K youth are languishing in jails. I, Omar Abdullah and Dr. Farooq Abdullah – the three former chief ministers of J&K – were detained arbitrarily. The nation was told afterwards our detention was in the interest of national security,” she held.
The former chief minister while hitting hard at BJP said those who violate the Constitution of the country cannot be termed as patriotic; rather they are the real anti-nationals.
“Today Jammu & Kashmir has been turned into a testing laboratory. Waters are being tested there and then plans are being executed across the country. First they detained political leaders of J&K and gradually they extended it to other parts of the country,” she said.
Mehbooba Mufti said that the “honesty” of AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal landed him in jail. “If Kejriwal-ji will join BJP then he will be absolved of corruption charges by the present dispensation. He has made schools for the poor children wherefrom doctors, engineers, teachers, lawyers will emerge in future. He provided free electricity and bus service to the poor. This is the crime he committed,” Mufti said.
She said BJP has no issue with ‘Pariwarwad’ (dynasts) but they have only problem with Gandhi-Nehru family “who have rendered numerous sacrifices for the country and safeguarded the Constitution with their blood.”
The former J&K chief minister while addressing the gathering said, “We are not here to save the opposition, but the Constitution of the country which gives you the right to vote and elect your representatives. Unfortunately, it is the first time in the history of India that the present dispensation is rigging elections before the conduct of polls by arresting opposition political leaders, muzzling dissent, employing ED like agencies etc,” she said.
Mufti appealed to the crowd to make people of the country understand the iniquitous plans of present dispensation so that the Constitution of the country is saved. “I appeal to all of you that the INDIA alliance has no TV, newspaper, Facebook, and YouTube, etc. You people are our media, so reach out to people of the country and make them understand that the present dispensation is arresting those who try to safeguard the Constitution of the country,” Mufti added.
