Srinagar: Iltija Mufti, daughter of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, was Tuesday allegedly detained at her Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar when she tried to visit the grave of her maternal grandfather and former J&K chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a day after she was granted permission for the same.
Iltija was also heckled by her security team, handled by the J&K Police’s Special Security Group (SSG), in front of journalists who were invited by her to her residence for an interaction over her “detention”.
She now wants her SSG security cover to be removed.
“I will write to the administration asking them to remove my SSG cover. They heckled me in front of the media. This is nothing but blatant oppression,” she told ThePrint over the phone.
Iltija alleged that SSG personnel refused to accompany her to her grandfather’s grave, despite being granted permission for it.
“The (Srinagar) deputy commissioner’s office had informed me that I can go to visit the grave along with a few of my family members. Because I am provided a security cover by the J&K police Special Security Group, I am supposed to inform them about my travel plans beforehand,” Iltija claimed.
“Today, when I told them that I am supposed to go to Bijbehara, they simply refused to accompany me. When I suggested that I would go on my own, they denied my request and instead detained me.”
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‘PM can meet his mother, I can’t visit my grandfather’s grave’
Iltija was allegedly detained last week also after she informed her security team of her plans to visit the grave of her grandfather.
Following this, she had written to the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Munir Khan, seeking permission to visit the grave of her grandfather.
On Monday, Iltija and her other family members were granted permission by Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar Shahid Chaudhary to visit Sayeed’s grave in south Kashmir’s Bijbehara area Tuesday as it marked his fourth death anniversary.
“They (SSG) are manhandling me. The government is claiming there is normalcy in Kashmir. Is this the normalcy the government is talking about?” Iltija said, while talking to the media outside her house.
“The prime minister can go and meet his mother, but I cannot visit the grave of my grandfather. Is it a crime (to visit my grandfather’s grave)?” she said to the SSG personnel in the presence of the media, before being taken inside the house.
We’ve instructions Iltija can only visit her mother: Police
A senior police officer posted near Iltija’s residence said they have received specific instructions to allow Iltija to only visit her mother who is under detention since August last year, when the central government announced the revocation of Article 370 in J&K and bifurcation of the region.
Mehbooba is currently detained at a government guest house in Srinagar.
“She is an SSG protectee. We have no information to allow her anywhere else except for meeting her mother,” said the officer.
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“Invited by her” just another public stunt, isn’t it?