Mehbooba Mufti Claims Kashmir Turned into a ‘Jail’ as Election Campaign Begins

Srinagar, Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti has sharply criticized the conditions in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), describing the region as a “jail” amid heightened security measures and political restrictions.

According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking to reporters in Pulwama today, Mufti launched her election campaign for the upcoming Indian parliamentary elections. She expressed profound concern over what she described as a suffocating political atmosphere and rampant arrests, asserting that the entire region has been subjected to oppressive tactics that have silenced the local population.

Mufti highlighted the recent increase in arrests following the announcement of elections, noting, “Since the elections have been announced, the process of arrests has also started.” She referenced a recent incident in Shopian, where a tourist guide was shot, which subsequently led to the arrest of hundreds of youth under the Public Safety Act.

The situation, she insisted, was not limited to Shopian and Pulwama but was indicative of a broader strategy employed across Kashmir. Mufti questioned the official narrative of normalcy, asking, “If they are claiming that everything is normal, then why these wanton arrests?”

Launching her campaign from the Anantnag [Islamabad]-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, Mufti vowed to be the voice of the voiceless in IIOJK, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these severe restrictions on speech and political activity. The Lok Sabha seat she is contesting will go to polls on May 7, in the third phase of the Indian general elections.