Srinagar, Mar 26 (UNI) Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday alleged that the J & K government was "harassing" families of separatists and even not sparing their daughters to “peddle propaganda” by making them “disown” their families.


She was reacting to “public notices” by jailed separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah’s daughter Sama Shabir and Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani’s granddaughter Ruwa Shah, where they distanced themselves from the separatist ideology.

Mufti said the pattern to disassociate was similar to what was witnessed when the insurgency broke and gun toting militants threatened and forced political workers of parties mainstream to disassociate themselves from the mainstream or face dire consequences.

“Kashmir witnessed a time when gun toting militants threatened & forced political workers to disassociate themselves from the mainstream or face dire consequences. Today that pattern is being repeated & what makes it even more disturbing is that the role is being played by the state itself,” Mufti said in a post on X.

“ They are harassing families of separatists. Not even sparing their daughters to peddle propaganda by making them disown their families. Even after a brutal crackdown & suppression GOI continues to feel paranoid. Shameless is an understatement for such cowardly actions,” she added.

Ruwa and Sama in public notices in local newspapers recently had distanced themselves from the separatist ideology and pledged their loyalty to the "sovereignty of India'.

Ruwa’s father and Geelani’s son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah died in October 2022 while in jail over charges of terror funding.
The BJP had termed the public announcements by the kin of two separatists as “a significant shift towards peace and prosperity”.
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