NIA raids, arrests belie goverment's claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said the continued raids of NIA, SIA and ED, arrests of youngsters and religious leaders and threatening media into silence belies the government's claim of normalcy in the Union Territory. Mufti, while referring to the central government’s affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court regarding normalcy in J&K after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, said the UT has been turned into an “open jail” where “Israel’s policy” is being followed.

“The government's claim of normalcy is akin to the situation where a goon barges into the house, beats, humiliates and intimidates the inhabitants and then says that everything is fine inside the house as there is silence and there is no problem now,” she said. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief alleged that journalists have been threatened into silence, summoned and jailed as they attempt to show a mirror to the central government.

“Thousands of our people are in jail, including youngsters and religious leaders who are suffering. They have been incarcerated without trial and families cannot meet them.

Our newspapers are filled with stories regarding NIA, SIA, ED and SIU raids,” said Mufti adding, “Despite so much oppression of ground, the government conveyed to the SC that everything was fine on the ground.” The former CM asked if stone pelting has stopped, then why are thousands of our people, including religious leaders in jail and raids and surveillance continue on the ground. “Why are you giving land to two lakh so-called landless people when there are only 19,047 landless people in J&K as per the official records? Who are you giving this land to? Why are you adding 25 lakh people to the voter list,” she asked, adding, “If you