Yogesh Sagotra
Jammu, Nov 17: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday accused the central government of “killing innocents in the name of militancy in Kashmir.”
PDP, which had advocated dialogues with Pakistan and revocation of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), that give ample power to security forces, said ‘civilian killings’ and armed conflict in Jammu and Kashmir is due to AFSPA.
“Due to AFSPA there is no accountability, no responsibility and nobody is answerable,” she said adding, “I am protesting because this government kills civilians in the name of militancy. Nobody knows if militants are being killed. 3 civilians have been killed recently. The government refuses to hand over their dead bodies to the families despite the latter’s demand,” Mufti said while leading a protest march outside PDP’s Jammu office, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Replying to BJP’s resolution about demanding punishment for people who were ‘questioning’ security forces, Mufti said, “What can I comment on people (BJP) who are worshiping (Mahatma) Gandhi’s Murders (Nathuram) Godse.”
Demanding the return of bodies of all those killed in Hydeprora Srinagar encounter to their families, Mehbooba said that “Kashmiris have neither surrendered in past nor will they surrender now on gunpoint.”
“We want a judicial inquiry into this incident. Strict punishment should be given to the guilty. It has become a fashion to brand civilians killed in encounters as Over Ground Workers (OGWs). They have no proof to show that they were OGWs. Such incidents cause more anger among people against us,” she said.
