SRINAGAR: PDP leader Iltija Mufti was detained by police at the Circuit House in Jammu on Sunday, preventing her from addressing a scheduled press conference. Her mother, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti criticised the move and called it a “blatant disregard for democratic rights.”
Iltija had visited the family of Makhan Din, a 25-year-old Gujjar youth from Kathua’s Billawar area, who died by suicide last week after alleging police torture over suspected links to militancy. The incident has sparked separate investigations by the police and local administration.
Visiting and offering solace to the families of victims has now been criminalized. This is evident from the latest actions of the police, who have detained Iltija at the Circuit House in Jammu, preventing her from addressing a press conference. This blatant disregard for our… pic.twitter.com/Y59NDKkEca
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 9, 2025
In a post on social media platform X, Mehbooba Mufti condemned the detention, stating, “Visiting and offering solace to victims’ families has now been criminalised.” She further alleged that the ruling party only views democracy through the lens of elections and governance while ignoring fundamental freedoms.
The PDP leader also highlighted what she termed as “selective policing,” noting that a minister from the National Conference was allowed to visit Billawar without restrictions, whereas her daughter was detained.
The development follows Iltija’s earlier claim that she and her mother were placed under house arrest in Srinagar on Saturday. She alleged that their movement was restricted to prevent Mehbooba Mufti from visiting Sopore, where a truck driver, Waseem Mir, was shot dead by security forces.
