Never accepted abrogation of Article 370, will challenge it in assembly: Iltija Mufti

Srinagar: Iltija Mufti, the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and the candidate from Bijbehara assembly segment on Tuesday said that if voted to power, she will challenge the abrogation of Article 370 in the assembly.

Reiterating her stance against the abrogation of Article 370, Iltija said that she never accepted the abrogation of Article 370, and will prioritise addressing this unconstitutional decision in the assembly. “The way it was scrapped will be my primary focus,” she said.

“Article 370 was the soul of the relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India,” she said.

Iltija, who was speaking to reporters in Kupwara during a rally, took aim at the National Conference (NC), accusing the party of historical wrongdoings, including the introduction of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and the rise of Ikhwan, a counter-insurgency militia.

“Peoples Democratic Party ended that era. It was the NC that brought these things, while we have consistently spoken about Kashmir’s sufferings, especially after 2019,” she stated.

In an attack on the National Conference, she called the party a “Choor Jamaat” (a band of thieves) and accused them of betraying the people of Kupwara. “NC did nothing for Kupwara and is responsible for the rigging of past elections and the accession of Kashmir. The people know the PDP’s stand before 2019 and after,” Iltija said.

She further criticized Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister and Vice President of NC, suggesting he is anxious about losing the Ganderbal seat in upcoming elections. “The NC leadership is frustrated and nervous. Omar is under tension over his uncertain future in Ganderbal,” she added.

Iltija, PDP’s star campaigner was on her day long visit to Kupwara and was campaigning for the party candidate Fayaz Ahmed Mir for the upcoming electoral battle in the region.