Sense of shame compelled Govt. to release my mother: Iltija
KD Desk
Srinagar, October 14: Former Chief Minister after being released from 14 months detention in an audio clip posted on Twitter said that our zest and strong belief will help us reach to cross our goal. She said none of us can forget the robbery and insult committed on August 5.
In the video message she said: “I have been set free after more than a year today.” “All this while the dark day of August 5, 2019 and the decisions taken on this day kept troubling me heart within hearts. I fully realise that the same feeling would have been that of all the people of Jammu and Kashmir. None of us can forget the robbery and insult committed on that day (August 5, 2019) and now we all must firmly decide that what was snatched away in an unconstitutional and undemocratic manner would be restored,” Mufti said.
“Besides we need to strive for Kashmir issue for which thousands of people have lost their lives. Today when I have been released, I would like that all those persons from Jammu and Kashmir detained in various jails of the country must be immediately released,” Mufti said.
Commenting over the decision of Government to release her mother after 14 months of long “preventive detention”, Iltija Mufti daughter of PDP chief Mebhooba Mufti on Wednesday said that she was not really expecting this sudden decision but maintained that Government must have felt a sense of shame and embarrassment after she went to court to seek her mother’s release that forced authorities to revoke her PSA detention order.
Iltija said that she was not expecting her mother’s release at this point of time but she came to this conclusion that Government must have felt a sense of shame and embarrassment after she knock the doors of court to seek her mother’s release which forced the Government to revoke her detention order.
“I was not really expecting this sudden decision. I think after I went to the court with a fresh petition the government might have felt a sense of shame and embarrassment and released her”, Iltija said.
Notably Iltija earlier this month filed a fresh plea before the Supreme Court seeking the release of her mother. However Government in its reply had cited the “geopolitical position of Jammu and Kashmir”, “its geographical proximity with Pakistan” and “Mehbooba’s glorifying militant” statements for the continuation of her detention under stringent law Public Safety Act (PSA).
Iltija said everyone deserves freedom. After the abrogation of Article 370 scores of people have been taken to jails outside J&K and they should be released as well, Iltija said. “My mother’s case was prominent but there are several other cases and I want everyone to be freed”, she said.
“I feel a huge sense of relief. I had a responsibility and it was to articulate the ground situation here and how people were being suppressed”, she said.
“The sense of relief comes from the fact there is someone who can articulate ground realities and truth. You have to understand that after August 5, 2019, I was not only speaking about my mother but also about the ground situation here as there was no one talking about it. And that is why, I am glad that she can take over her responsibilities”, she added.
Pertinently PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti was taken into “preventive custody” hours before New Delhi abolished special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Articles 370 & 35(A) and downgraded the erstwhile state into two Union Territories. She was earlier booked under Sec 107 of the CrPC but after six months she was booked under Public Safety Act (PSA).
