Srinagar, Dec 12: Citing “COVID-19 restrictions”, authorities on Sunday foiled the youth convention of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Srinagar with party president Mehbooba Mufti alleging the J&K government was pushing the youth to violence.
An order issued by Executive Magistrate First Class South Srinagar while citing a report by SSP Srinagar and COVID restrictions in place, directed SHO Ram Munshi Bagh not to allow the scheduled youth convention of the PDP at Fairview Guest House Gupkar.
News agency KNO quoted PDP spokesperson Najam-us-Saqib saying that all the roads leading towards Gupkar have been sealed to foil the party’s youth convention.
“We later decided to hold convention at party headquarters, but it was also sealed by the administration,” Saqib said, adding that “large number of vehicles have been stopped at Pantha Chowk while several were lathi charged at Sonwar”.
He added that “nothing was conveyed by the administration in this regard and the party chief Mehbooba Mufti has been put under house detention”.
Mehbooba herself took to Twitter through a video saying, “When we want to meet our children, they (the government) gets to remember COVID to sabotage the meet”.
The PDP President alleged the administration was “finding new ways to end the rights of the youth and keep them away from democratic process to push them to violence so that it becomes easy for them to beat them and put them behind bars”.
“That’s what they have been doing for the last three years. Youth are suffocating in their houses, but when they come out, they are either fired or put behind bars,” she said.
She alleged the J&K government was “petrified by the youth”.
“PM gives long speeches on Indian democracy elsewhere, but democracy being stifled in J&K. We will keep our struggle to fight for the welfare, unity and dignity of the people of J&K”.