Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti was not allowed to hold a party function in Jammu on Sunday in view of the prevailing tension in the winter capital, a source said. The PDP president reached the Jammu airport in the morning and she was received by former MLA Wachi, Aijaj Mir, PDP MLC FirdousTak and some other party leaders.
A PDP leader said soon after reaching Jammu, the PDP president approached the district administration for holding a party programme at the party’s Gandhi Nagar office but she was not allowed to do so.
“The police rather asked the former chief minister to reach her residence in Jammu in view of tension outside,” the party leader said. Meanwhile, party’s MLC FirdousTak alleged that superintendent of police Jammu south, Vinay Kumar, through his concerned station house officer, tried to damage his (Tak’s) vehicle and later threatened to set it on fire.
“After I received the party president at Jammu airport, my vehicle, on way to PDP office, was stopped by SHO concerned, who initially stopped it and later resorted to hurling abuses,” the PDP MLC alleged, adding, “When I discussed this issue with the SP Jammu south, he asked me that he would not allow PDP leaders to hold a programme at the party office in a charged atmosphere”.
According to the MLC, the SP concerned also misbehaved with him and threatened him of “dire consequences if the programme at the party office was held”.
“Our office was sealed and we were not allowed to move outside,” Tak alleged.
Tak said on a request of a family from Wachi (stuck in Janipur area) to have one of their sick women evacuated to a hospital, he and former MLA Wachi, Aijaj Mir somehow managed to evacuate the woman to the party office.
“We were again stopped by the SP Jammu south and asked not to leave the party office,” Tak alleged, adding: “When I tried to convince the police officer that the woman was not well and she needed to be taken to Gandhi Nagar hospital soon, he again started misbehaving with me”.
SP Jammu south, Vinay Kumar however refuted the allegations of the PDP leader, saying he (Tak) was “trying to make the issue personal”. “You might have heard about violent incidents happening across Jammu. But in city south, I’ve not let the protesters succeed, so far. Since Jammu is on boil, I only requested the PDP leader not to hold any programme in this charged atmosphere,” the police officer said, adding: “But he (Tak) took this argument between us personal. I have nothing personal against him. I was only doing my duty”.