Page 6 - Mehbooba Mufti

Odisha train mishap: Mehbooba, Omar extend condolences to victims, families

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday extended their condolences to the families of those killed in the Odisha train accident. The leader of the People's Democratic Party said in a Tweet,"Shocked to hear about the train accident in Odisha. Words aren't enough words to convey my sympathies to the families of those who lost their live." "Heads should have rolled by now, but in today's India no one is accountable," she added. Meanwhile, NC leader Omar Abdullah said, "The images & survivor accounts from the railway crash site in Odisha are horrific. The accident has left countless individuals scarred & families bereave." He said words are poor consolation at a time like this "but I'd like to convey my sympathies to the families of the deceased & prayers for those injured". "May the almighty give them strength," he added. The accident involving two passenger trains and a stationary goods train has led to the loss of life of at least ..

'K'taka poll results gave ray of hope to country', says Mehbooba Mufti

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said here on Sunday that the mandate of the people of Karnataka giving victory to the Congress has given a ray of hope to the entire country

Whatever happened in Delhi is a wake-up call, can happen anywhere: Mufti

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who is visiting Karnataka, on Sunday appreciated the people for voting out a "fascist" BJP government in the state, but also cautioned people about the recent developments in Delhi, saying it was a wake-up call for everyone as it can happen anywhere in the country. Mufti was referring to an ordinance passed by the President on Friday, May 20, giving overriding powers to the Delhi's Lieutenant Governor -- a union government nominee -- to oversee the transfer, posting and disciplinary proceedings against civil servants in Delhi. The ordinance was brought in just a week after a Supreme Court Constitution Bench had ruled that powers over the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in the national capital lay with the Delhi government and not the Central government. The apex court had made it clear that the Central government cannot take over governance of elected state governments. "Whatever happened in Delhi is a wake-up call

Road for India becoming 'Vishwaguru' is through SAARC, not G-20: Mufti

The forthcoming G-20 meeting may be a "good promotion exercise" for the BJP at the international level but holding the SAARC summit and discussing problems in the region would help India in becoming a 'Vishwaguru', says the last chief minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state Mehbooba Mufti. Mehbooba was speaking to PTI-video on the preparations for the G-20 grouping meeting on tourism in Srinagar from May 22 to 24. Amid strain in ties India-Pakistan ties, the biennial SAARC summits have not taken place since the 2014 meeting in Kathmandu. "We don't live close to Australia, America or Japan which are members of G-20. We are living in this region and the SAARC caters to the problems of this region and if the government takes the initiative and has a summit of SAARC countries and addresses the problems that are being faced by this region including what is happening in Pakistan" that will help India to be the leader in the region and the world, she said. But the government "has to

Karnataka Assembly poll results has shown a ray of hope: Mehbooba Mufti

Describing the Karnataka Assembly poll results as a "ray of hope", PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said and hoped that the rest of the country will also reject "communal politics" and vote for its development and prosperity. Mufti's remarks came after the Congress emerged as the clear winner in the electoral battle in Karnataka. According to the latest trends on the Election Commission's (EC) website, the Congress was striding forward in 136 of the 224 Assembly seats in the southern state. "The BJP tried its best to communalise the situation as is their habit. They even brought Bajrangbali, religion, Hindu-Muslim to the discourse. The prime minister tried to take the discourse on religious lines. Despite that, people kept these issues on the sidelines and chose the issue of development on which the Congress ran its campaign," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister told reporters here. Mufti said be it Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra or other Congress leaders, they built a ...

Pakistan instability, uncertainty will affect India: Mehbooba Mufti

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said while the political situation in Pakistan was nothing new, the instability and uncertainty in the neighbouring country will have an impact on India. She also said that the ruling party in Pakistan, instead of fighting the opposition politically, uses agencies to put them in jail and that the "same process unfortunately is being used" in India. Whatever is happening in Pakistan, unfortunately, is nothing new. Right from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whenever a government comes, the opposition is jailed. It will have an effect on us. The instability and uncertainty there will impact us but this disease has somehow infected our country also. If you see Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Parliament membership, (Manish) Sisodia was jailed, Mehbooba told reporters in Tral area of Pulwama district. Commenting on the arrest of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, Mufti said the ruling party in Islamabad was using agencies to jail the opposition ...

Pak judiciary holding establishment accountable a silver lining: Mehbooba

Pakistan's democracy is in tatters with political leaders being arrested on"frivolous charges", but the only silver lining is that its independent judiciary and a fierce media were holding the establishment accountable, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday. The remarks of the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister came after Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday.

BJP wants to make India Banana Republic, alleges PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti

Today is the black day in the democracy of India as the main Opposition leader is being treated like this. BJP wants to make India a Banana Republic, Mufti said

Atiq killing 'tactic' to shift attention from Pulwama: Mehbooba Mufti

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday alleged Atiq Ahmad and his brother's killing in Uttar Pradesh was a "clever diversionary tactic" to shift attention from the "revelations" made by former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik about the Pulwama attack. Malik, in an interview to a news portal, had claimed that there were lapses in security protocol that led to the February 2019 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. Mufti said in a tweet in Hindi, "Uttar Pradesh has slipped into anarchy and jungle raj. Cold blooded murders and lawlessness is being celebrated by rabid right wingers amidst slogans of Jai Shri Ram. The People's Democratic Party chief added, "A clever diversionary tactic to shift attention from Satyapal Malik's damning revelations about the Pulwama attack and corruption." Gangster-politician Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while bei

Won't contest Assembly elections till Article 370 is restored: Mehbooba

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday vowed not to contest assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir till Article 370 is restored, saying it be might a "foolish" decision, but the issue is an "emotional" one for her. In an interview with PTI here, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also said that assembly elections are not happening in the Union Territory as the Centre is "scared" that if there is an elected government, then it will not be able to pursue its "hidden agenda". The Centre in 2019 had abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and divided it into two Union Territories -- J-K and Ladakh. "I am never going to participate in assembly elections as long as Article 370 is not restored. Whenever I took oath as a member of the assembly, it was under two Constitutions -- the J-K Constitution and the Constitution of India, with two flags at the same time. Maybe it is foolish on my part, but, it is a more of an emotional

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti welcomes opening of Sharda Devi temple in J-K

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday welcomed the opening of the Sharda Devi Temple near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. She also expressed hope of resumption of cross-LoC trade. This is very good. We have always been saying that we need to engage, reconcile and resolve things. The opening of Sharda temple is a very good thing. It is something that the Kashmiri Pandits were looking forward to, they really wanted it to be opened, Mehbooba told reporters here. Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah e-inaugurated the Mata Sharda Devi temple in Karnah sector of the north Kashmir district. The PDP chief expressed hope that the opening of the temple will not be restricted to pilgrimage, but it will go beyond that. "I also hope that the business which was conducted on Muzaffarabad Road and Rawalakot road, that also is resumed, she said, referring to the now suspended cross-LoC trade on Uri-Muzaffarabad, and Poonch-Rawalakot routes.

BJP putting Opposition leaders in jail is similar to Pak does: Mehbooba

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said like the ruling party in Pakistan is trying to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan, the BJP-led central government here is misusing central agencies to put opposition leaders in jail. Speaking at the party headquarters here, the former chief minister said she is concerned about the difficulties being faced by people in the aftermath of the revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in August 2019. "Nothing new is happening in Pakistan...

Mehbooba welcomes Army court suggestion in Amshipura encounter case

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Monday welcomed an Army court's decision to recommend life imprisonment for a captain of the force in connection with the killing of three labourers in a "staged" encounter in Amshipura area of Shopian district in 2020. She expressed hope that an impartial probe would also be ordered into the Lawaypora and Hyderpora encounters that took place in 2021. Retweeting a news report on the development, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said, "Recommended punishment of life imprisonment for Captain involved in Amshipora fake encounter is a welcome step towards creating accountability in such cases. Hope an impartial probe is also ordered in Lawapora and Hyderpora encounters to prevent the repetition of such ghastly incidents (sic)." Completing general court-martial proceedings in less than a year, an Army court has recommended life imprisonment for a captain in connection with the killing of three men in a "staged" encounter in Amshipura in south Kashm

Imposition of property tax in Jammu and Kashmir anti-people move: NC, PDP

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday charged that the imposition of property tax in Jammu and Kashmir was part of the BJP's larger agenda of impoverishing the people of the union territory. The real aim is to make people of Jammu and Kashmir so poor that they don't demand anything. Look at the rest of the country, 80 crore people are getting free ration. They don't ask for jobs or cheaper fuel. They just wait for the five kg grain so that they can feed their kids. They want to bring J-K also to the same level. This is part of a larger agenda to bury people of J-K, she told reporters at the PDP office here. People just have to refuse to pay the tax peacefully, she added. The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday issued a notification for imposition of property tax in the union territory which will come into effect from the next financial year. The PDP president said the economy and development indices of Jammu and Kashmir were better than some o

Mehbooba writes to EAM Jaishankar, seeks his help in getting her passport

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday sought External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's intervention for her passport, saying she has been waiting for it for the past three years to take her 80-year-old mother on a pilgrimage to Mecca. In a letter to the minister, she said her passport's renewal has been pending as the Jammu and Kashmir CID gave an adverse report that issuing the travel document to her would undermine national security. Mehbooba also highlighted the delay in issuing of passport to her daughter Iltija who wants to pursue higher studies outside the country. "I am writing to you about a matter that has dragged on needlessly for the last three years, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said and added that "my mother (Gulshan Nazir) and I applied for passport renewal in March 2020". "J&K CID gave an adverse report that issuing passports to my 80-year-old mother and me would undermine national security. In J&K, it has become the norm to arbitrarily reject ...

People realised after demolitions how Article 370 protected J&K: Mehbooba

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have now come to realise how Article 370 of the Constitution acted as a protective shield for them, after the BJP-led government used bulldozers to demolish houses and businesses of the poor. She also defended her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's decision to join hands with the BJP to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir after the 2014 Assembly polls, saying the PDP patriarch had successfully "caged the beast". "When Article 370 was abrogated, some people thought it would only affect the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC). When the bulldozers came to demolish our homes, businesses and even the shelters for our domestic animals, people realised how Article 370 was a protection for us," Mufti said at a function of her party here. Defending Sayeed's decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for government formation after the 2014 Assembly polls, the former Jammu an

Centre using J-K to divert attention from Adani issue, says Mehbooba Mufti

Criticising the ongoing anti-encroachment drive, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday accused the BJP-led Centre of using Jammu and Kashmir to divert attention of the country from pressing issues such as unemployment and the Adani row. "To divert the attention from the Adani issue and the damage it has done to the economy of the country, they (BJP) don't get anything better than Jammu and Kashmir, like demolition drive," Mehbooba told reporters here. Asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comments about the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, the former chief minister said, "They do not make statements, they make jumlas." "He himself said the promises of two crore jobs and Rs 15 lakh in every bank account were election jumla (rhetoric)," she said. Mehbooba said Shah was the first home minister in the history of independent India who turned a state into a Union territory. On the demolition drive, she said the BJP earlier used to brand the people of Jammu and ..

J-K anti-encroachment drive: Police stop Mehbooba's protest march to Parl

Police prevented PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti from taking out a march to Parliament here on Wednesday to protest against an ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Jammu and Kashmir. Accompanied by scores of party workers, Mehbooba planned to march from Railway Bhawan to Parliament, where she wanted to inform opposition parties about the Jammu and Kashmir administration's "bulldozer policy". However, police detained the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, and took her and her party workers to Jantar Mantar. The protesters dispersed from Jantar Mantar. "We had come to inform the public, opposition parties and members of the ruling BJP about the misery faced by the public at large in Jammu and Kashmir. "If we can't go to Parliament, I wonder where we should go then. Does the government want us to get our grievances redressed at the United Nations," Mehbooba asked. There is no rule of law that can be seen in Jammu and Kashmir and "we came all the way to Delhi to speak our hearts out. But

Budget 2023 gets mixed reactions from politicians and industry experts

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her 5th Budget on Feb 1, 2023. Here's what different political leaders and industry experts think of Budget 2023

Not a people-friendly Union Budget, says PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti

The Union Budget is not people-friendly as it has been prepared keeping in mind the interests of a few businessmen, People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Wednesday. Talking to reporters here, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is the same as the ones presented by the BJP-led government over the last eight-nine years. "Taxes have increased and money is not being spent on welfare schemes or subsidies. Taxes are being amassed for their crony capitalists. The taxes imposed should have benefitted the people, but they have broken their backs. "Rather than benefitting people, welfare schemes and subsidies are being done away with. The situation in the country is such that those who had risen above the poverty line have again fallen below it," Mufti said. She alleged that the budget has been prepared for "a few businessmen". "This is not for the people of India, not for the poor," the