Congress and CPI (M) Friday criticised the government for not allowing former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti from visiting Pulwama in south Kashmir.
Lashing out at the authorities, J&K Congress chief, Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, “These are undemocratic moves.”
Accusing BJP of resorting to these “tactics”, Mir said the saffron party was doing this as it was “nervous” about the “tough contest” being given to them by the “secular” parties instead of getting a “walkover” in the District Development Council (DDC) polls.
Mir said if such measures continue, democracy would be in danger not only in J&K but in entire country.
Earlier, Mehbooba, while taking to social media said, “I have been illegally detained yet again. Since two days, J&K admin has refused to allow me to visit @parawahid’s family in Pulwama. BJP ministers and their puppets are allowed to move in every corner of Kashmir but security is a problem only in my case (sic).”
She had also called a news conference at her Fairview residence at Gupkar but the authorities did not allow media to move inside.
CPI (M) State Secretary Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami said not allowing Mehbooba to visit Pulwama was “unfortunate” and “unacceptable”.
He said preventing anybody from carrying out legitimate political activities was “undemocratic”.
“If it is democracy, what then is dictatorship,” Tarigami said.
Later, Police said Mehbooba was asked to “postpone” her Pulwama visit for “security reasons”.