SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has criticised restrictions imposed in parts of Delhi, comparing the situation in the national capital with the curbs enforced in Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Her remarks came after internet services were suspended in parts of Delhi and restrictions imposed on movement, triggering a political debate over communication shutdowns and the handling of public protests.
In a post on X on Saturday, Mufti described the situation in Delhi as a “chilling reminder” of Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, which she termed unconstitutional.
Today’s Delhi is a chilling reminder of Kashmir after the unconstitutional abrogation of Article 370. People were locked in their homes, the internet was shut down, and an entire region was placed under siege. The BJP then brazenly claimed that nobody had protested.
Today, with Delhi under siege, trains halted and roads to Jantar Mantar sealed, they may repeat the same lie, claiming that nobody protested against Gyanesh Kumar.
First crush the protest, then deny it ever happened. This is how enforced silence is passed off as consent.— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 10, 2026
She alleged that people in Kashmir had been confined to their homes and internet services shut down, while the entire region was placed under siege. Mufti also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of claiming that no protests had taken place during the restrictions.
Drawing a parallel with Delhi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president referred to halted train services and roads leading to Jantar Mantar being sealed. She alleged that authorities could similarly claim that no demonstrations had taken place against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Mufti argued that suppressing protests and subsequently denying that they occurred amounted to presenting enforced silence as public consent.
