Srinagar, July 30: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Thursday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to look into what she described as the alleged misuse of the names of central investigative agencies for political intimidation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference, Iltija alleged that the Peoples Conference leadership had been threatening PDP leader and former MLC Yasir Reshi by invoking the names of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
She claimed that leaders of the People’s Conference had been telling Yasir Reshi that they enjoyed the backing of agencies like the NIA and ED and were using the Union Home Minister’s name to create fear among PDP leaders and workers.
“I request Union Home Minister Amit Shah to look into the matter because your name is being used to threaten and intimidate our leaders. If this is not happening with your knowledge, action should be taken against those misusing your name,” she said.
Iltija Mufti as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust alleged that such tactics were not new and had become common after the constitutional changes of August 2019. She claimed that People’s Conference leaders had earlier pressured several PDP leaders to quit the party by invoking the names of central agencies.
Referring to PDP leader Khursheed Alam, she alleged that he had been forced to leave the PDP under pressure but had subsequently returned to the party.
She also alleged that the People’s Conference did not want any political leader to emerge from north Kashmir and referred to the imprisonment of Engineer Rashid while criticising what she termed as intimidation in politics.
Claiming that an audio recording purportedly involving a People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone had surfaced, Iltija alleged that calls were made to Yasir Reshi claiming that senior officials of the NIA, CBI and ED were in Srinagar and that the PC leadership had access to them.
She further alleged that such politics of intimidation was not confined to political opponents but also extended to journalists and industrialists.
Describing the alleged conduct as “gutter-level politics,” Iltija said political parties should compete through dialogue and the ballot rather than intimidation and threats.
“If you cannot defeat your opponents through the ballot, you resort to threats. We will not remain silent if such intimidation continues,” she said, warning that the PDP would resist any attempt to pressure its leaders through alleged misuse of the names of central agencies. [KNT]
