PDP event denied nod citing Covid concerns, Mufti alleges ‘sabotage’
SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday accused the Jammu and Kashmir administration of sabotaging her youth convention at her residence in Srinagar in the name of Covid protocols and roughing up her workers. The police responded saying the local administration had advised the PDP to apply for holding this convention in a more open area in view of Covid and security reasons. In a series of video messages on Twitter and then a press conference, Mehbooba said the administration remembers Covid-19 only when she decides to meet the youth of the Valley.
“From the past one week, all the leaders and parties have been organising meetings and rallies in every corner of the Valley and when the PDP decided to do the same in my own home why were we stopped,” she said. “They are sabotaging (us). New ways are found to usurp the rights of youth here to take them away from democracy and push them towards violence,” she said. Later at a press conference, Mehbooba said they were preparing for the youth convention as all political parties were organising rallies in the Valley these days. She said they had written to the deputy commissioner for some space for organising the youth convention some time back. “But we got no response to that. Even Covid was not that much at that time,” she said.
A police spokesman said in the convention a gathering of at least 1,000 people was expected.
“Given the prevalent Covid situation and larger security implications resulting from allowing such a large number of people and accompanying cars and vehicles into a high-security zone, it was not advisable to allow such a large flow of people and unchecked vehicles,” the spokesman said.
“It is incorrect that Mehbooba is under house arrest. The local administration had advised the PDP to apply for holding this convention in a more open area in view of Covid and security reasons,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Sajad Lone’s People’s Conference on Sunday accused the administration of denying them to organise a convention in Kupwara. NC vicepresident Omar Abdullah addressed a gathering at the Dak Bungalow in Anantnag.