Besides security Covid has become another excuse in J-K: Mehbooba Mufti

In a video message on Twitter, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that in J-K besides security Covid-19 has become another excuse to prevent her from reaching out to people in distress. She alleged that the government wants to obfuscate the truth and brush tragedies under the rug.

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People's Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday claimed that the administration is preventing her from meeting people on the excuse of pandemic and security.

"Today, the government once again barred me from going to Noorabad on the excuse of pandemic and security. Noorabad is the same place where a young man committed suicide. The father of this young man was a teacher in a school who had quit militancy several years ago and was now on the path of peace. And for the last two and half years, his salary was kept on hold just because he was a militant once," Mehbooba said while issuing her video statement on Twitter.

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She further said, "Seeing his father's helplessness, this young man had no other choice but to commit suicide to reduce his father's burden. This is not a matter of just one teacher. There are many such people in Kashmir. Unfortunately, today the government is harassing all these people. These are the attempts to humiliate people in various ways."

While raising questions on the government's rehabilitation policy for former militants, she said, "On one hand, the government asks youth to abandon the path of militancy and return to the mainstream, while on the other hand, those people who are back to the path of peace are being humiliated."

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"The government does not want the suffering of people here to get exposed in public. They are using security concerns and pandemic situation as an excuse for the same," she said.

"Security is not a problem for the lieutenant governor and his officers. Despite the pandemic, security arrangements are made for them, they are allowed to go everywhere. Why am I being stopped? The government itself does not go to such families and also does not allow me to go. What kind of justice is this?" she further questioned.

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