Mehbooba Mufti trying to strengthen roots of AFSPA: NC

Ruling NC on Wednesday slammed PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for trying to "strengthen the roots" of Armed Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state, a day after she aired her apprehension about spill over of militants from Afghanistan and Iraq into the state.

Ruling NC on Wednesday slammed PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for trying to "strengthen the roots" of Armed Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state, a day after she aired her apprehension about spill over of militants from Afghanistan and Iraq into the state.

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"Mufti's wild statements about al-Qaeda in Jammu and Kashmir was nothing but an engineered propaganda to ensure continuation of AFSPA in the state and thwart its possible revocation," NC spokesman Junaid Mattu said in a statement.

"This is yet another attempt to raise the bogey of post (US) withdrawal Taliban influence in the state, and invent an al-Qaeda ghost only to strengthen the roots of AFSPA," Mattu said.

He was responding to the statements made by Mufti at a press conference yesterday here in which she said, "Every body is talking about what is going to happen in Kashmir after withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, and there are also reports suggesting that the militant groups fighting in Iraq have India on their agenda. In such a situation, there has to be a strategy."

The NC spokesman termed the remarks as baseless and distorted.

"Where was Mehbooba's concern for educated youth when Mufti Sayeed pushed doctors and engineers against the wall as the Home Minister of India and made them resort to armed militancy?" he asked.