BJP govt insulted Sheikh Abdullah, who worked for J&K’s accession to India

Srinagar, Aug 21 (PTI) PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said BJP government had insulted National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who worked for accession of the only Muslim-majority state to India.

Mufti made the remark apparently in reference to the dropping of ‘Sher’, a popular moniker of Sheikh Abdullah, from the Kashmir International Convention Centre.

Replying to a question about wife of JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik’s wife being made a minister in Pakistan, Mehbooba said Mishaal Malik was not a terrorist.

“I am not an advocate for Mishaal Malik but she is not a terror convict. Her husband Yasin Malik is. She is not like Sadhvi Pragya,” she said, referring to the BJP MP from Bhopal who is under trial for 2008 Malegaon blasts.

“Pakistan is rewarding people who they think are serving their agenda here. What is the government doing with Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah? The BJP needs to understand this. They are dishonouring Sheikh sahib who worked for accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India. Shame on BJP,” the PDP president told reporters here.

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim that China had seized Indian territory in Ladakh, Mufti said it was a claim made by the locals of the area, not Gandhi.

“China has entered Indian territory and grazing land has been put off limits for the people of Ladakh. China has occupied 1,000 sq km of this grazing land. This is not what Rahul Gandhi is saying but what people of Ladakh are claiming.

“So many rounds of talks have failed so far to push China back,” the former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister said.

Mufti also hit out at DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad for his saying that most Indian Muslims were converts from Hinduism.

“He is speaking the same language as Sangh. They also say that ancestors of most Indian Muslims were Hindus and that Muslims should do ‘ghar wapsi’.

“Today the Indian Muslim is insecure. A Muslim man married a Hindu girl, the parents of the man were lynched. Muslims are being killed in trains, their houses are being bulldozed,” she said.

My party will fight against all injustices done to people of Jammu and Kashmir, she added.