Shopian (Jammu and Kashmir): Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Monday criticised the Awami Ittihad Party (AIP) following an alleged attack on her party’s candidate Yawar Banday and workers in Shopian district. According to Mufti, AIP workers assaulted PDP members with batons, resulting in serious injuries to Banday, who is now undergoing treatment at SMHS Hospital in critical condition.
Expressing her concerns, Mehbooba Mufti questioned the sudden emergence of AIP candidates across the region, despite the party leader, Engineer Rashid, being imprisoned. "It took Mufti Mohammad Sayeed 50 years to build PDP, and we still lack enough resources to field candidates everywhere. But how does AIP manage to have candidates all over, even with Rashid behind bars? Where do they get their funding and the audacity to resort to violence?" she asked.
Mufti claimed that the PDP has been consistently targeted and that if her party had committed similar acts, its members would have been jailed. She further accused the government of backing AIP as a "proxy party" after other political parties failed to meet the government's objectives in the Lok Sabha elections.
"I want to tell the government that by propping up AIP, you are signalling that no other party has the right to contest. How did AIP dare to attack PDP workers? Why hasn’t action been taken against the perpetrators?" Mufti said. She also appealed to the public to be wary of AIP, stating that the party's purpose was to divide the votes, especially targeting PDP, as it is the only party that has consistently stood up for the people and raised its voice against the government.
In response, AIP spokesperson Riaz Majeed expressed regret over the Shopian incident, but condemned Mufti’s remarks accusing AIP of being a proxy for the government. "Mehbooba Mufti is trying to win the people's trust by telling lies, which is unbecoming of her. You don’t need treasure chests to fight elections; you need sincerity, good intentions and the trust of the people," Majeed said.
He accused the PDP of equating politics with money, claiming that their politics has always been driven by illicit funds. Majeed further stated that AIP is a people’s movement and receives support from those who seek to end family politics. "If the people stand with us, we will field candidates not only in Jammu and Kashmir, but across the country," he added.
Majeed also took a swipe at Mufti, saying she believes only the Muftis, Abdullahs and Gandhis have the right to rule. "When someone else enters the political field, they are immediately labelled as agents," he said, adding that family politics will be swept away by the people's overwhelming support for AIP.
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