Use power of vote to counter BJP’s CAA decision: PDP chief

Naseer A Ganai

Srinagar, March 13

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday urged people to respond to provocations from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), by voting them out of power.

The PDP president also said the government should tread cautiously in executing development projects, including extending the railway line in Kashmir, considering Kashmir’s fragile ecological zone. She further said that her party wouldn’t tolerate sacrificing apple orchards in the Shopian district for laying railways in villages.

Law aimed at muslims

The CAA is aimed at targeting Muslims. It should be responded through votes and later through judicial fight. I appeal to Muslims not to get trapped and it is time to respond to such provocations through votes. —Mehbooba Mufti, Chief, PDP

The PDP chief said the government for the past ten years has not provided jobs and employment to the people. She said the inflation has already created difficulties for the people. She said to deflect attention from real issues, the Centre was trying to incite Hindu-Muslim tensions through actions like demolishing mosques and homes, and disrespecting Muslims during prayer. She said the government has rolled out the Citizenship Amendment Act rules to provoke Muslims and force them to come. She said when they came up with the CAA people protested peacefully in 2020 and they arrested Muslim youths despite peaceful protests like those in Shaheen Bagh and they are not being bailed out.

Former Chief Minister urged Muslims not to resort to street protests, saying it is important to respond to provocations of the ruling party through democratic means such as voting. Mufti said some elders have already decided to move to the Court against the CAA and it is heartening to see the Supreme Court of late issuing judgments that are seen as pro-people.

“They have come up with the CAA with the hope that Muslims would come out and there will be a communal flare-up. I appeal to Muslims not to get trapped and it is time to respond to such provocations through votes,” she said.

“The CAA is aimed at targeting Muslims. It should be responded through votes and later through judicial fight,” she added.

Expressing concern over the railway line to be extended Shopian, Mehbooba said the railway line to Shopian could lead to cutting thousands of apple trees. “It is fine to have a railway line. But it shouldn’t impact the apple orchard economy of Kashmir,” she added.

She expressed concerns over the potential adverse impact on the economy of Kashmir caused by initiatives such as expanding railway lines into every village and disrupting apple orchards.

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