“Jammu and Kashmir has been converted into open jail…,”: Mehbooba Mufti as she announces poll agenda of her party

Shopian (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 16 (ANI): Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday announced her party’s poll agenda and said that Jammu and Kashmir has been converted into an “open jail.”

“I have started my election campaign to raise a voice against this enforced silence, the arrests and the atmosphere of suffocation that prevails here,” Mufti told reporters.

“Pulwama and Shopian have always supported us and I have started my campaign from here. I hope people will make our voice, which talks about the wounds of Jammu and Kashmir, successful,” she added.

She further said that the PDP’s poll agenda is to be the voice of Jammu and Kashmir.

“They (the central government) have created Jammu and Kashmir an open jail. You must have heard that recently militants shot at a tourist guide in Shopian which is an unfortunate development. Thousands of youngsters of J-K have been jailed across the nation. Pulwama and Shopian districts have always supported us,” said Mehbooba Mufti.

Earlier, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announced candidates for three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir. PDP leader Sartaj Madni announced that Mehbooba Mufti will contest the general elections from Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.

Mufti will be in a political battle from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat against Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory will be held in the first five phases on April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar) and May 20 (Baramulla).

The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.