ED Summons to Mehbooba Mufti Part of Centre’s ‘Vindictive’ Politics: PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday said the Enforcement Directorate summons to its president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was part of the Centre’s “vindictive” politics, and asserted that such tactics would not dampen the will of people of Jammu and Kashmir to struggle for restoration of their constitutional rights.

The party said “the ED summons is yet another ploy to try and arm-twist the people and leadership of Jammu & Kashmir, to kill dissent and disagreement across regions and to silence the genuine demand” for the restoration of statehood and special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Such tactics won’t dampen our will to have our constitutional status restored. This is the price one pays when we oppose the BJP’s ideology and divisive politics, PDP leader Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura said in a statement. Hanjura accused the BJP of employing coercive measures through various agencies to target opposition leaders.

“Recent events are witness to how the BJP has been employing coercive measures through various agencies to target opposition leaders across the country and the government is resorting to a game of witch-hunt and suppressions in Jammu & Kashmir as well, he added. The Enforcement Directorate on Friday summoned Mufti for questioning on March 15 in a money laundering case, officials said.

The 60-year-old PDP leader, who was released last year after more than a year in detention following the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, has been served notice to appear at the ED headquarters in the national capital. Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution was revoked by the Centre in August 2019 and the state was bifurcated into union territories.