Institutions supposed to uphold constitutional rights have been Talibanised

MEHBOOBA MUFTI, Peoples Democratic Party president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, has emerged as the strongest voice against the revocation of Article 370. She has vowed not to contest assembly polls until Jammu and Kashmir’s special status is restored.

- TARIQ BHAT

In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Mufti spoke on a range of issues, including why the government has frozen her bank account and blocked her passport. Excerpts:

Q/ Has there been any follow up by the Centre after the prime minister’s meeting with the Gupkar Alliance in June?

A/ No, none at all.

Q/ Where does that leave the prime minister’s statement—on bridging dil ke doori aur Dilli se doori?

A/ The bare minimum expectation was that the government of India would follow this all-party meeting with some confidence-building measures like releasing prisoners, putting an end to the daily farmans (orders) from Delhi that further disempower the people, and ending the rule of suppression to let people breathe easy. But nothing happened. On the contrary, more stringent actions were taken to further terrorise people into submission.

Q/ Why does the PDP believe that the formation of the delimitation commission in Jammu and Kashmir is a sham?

A/ Every action that has followed the illegal and unconstitutional scrapping of our special status has been aimed at weakening the people of J&K further. This delimitation commission, created in a tearing hurry, is no exception. It is to divide J&K further on communal, regional, sectarian and ethnic lines, and thus weaken the position of the majority.

Q/ You are a former chief minister and yet your bank accounts have been frozen, and your passport and that of your mother have been blocked. Do you think it is politically motivated?