SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is currently under house arrest since the abrogation of Article 370, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "using the jawan card and hijacking their sacrifices to get votes" and added that the government does not care about "jawans or Kashmiris".
Mufti's statements were posted on her official Twitter account, being managed by her daughter Iltija since the former CM's house arrest.
"What explains 9 lakh troops in Kashmir if everything's normal? They aren't there because of an imminent attack from Pakistan but simply to quell protests. Army's primary responsibility is to protect borders instead of being used to crush dissent," read Mufti's first tweet.
She later added, "BJP uses the Jawan card and hijacks their sacrifices to get votes. But truth is that if Kashmiris are treated as cannon fodder, troops have become pawns to contain unrest in the valley. The ruling party doesn't care about jawans or Kashmiris. Sole concern is winning elections."
BJP uses the Jawan card & hijacks their sacrifices to get votes. But truth is that if Kashmiris are treated as cannon fodder, troops have become pawns to contain unrest in the valley. The ruling party doesn’t care about jawans or Kashmiris. Sole concern is winning elections
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 10, 2019
The Peoples Democratic Party chief (PDP) has been continuously attacking the government on Article 370 move, which revoked the special status given to J&K.
Mufti's fresh salvo comes on a day when the Centre's travel advisory for Jammu and Kashmir was withdrawn after nearly over two months.
Meanwhile, the process to release political leaders, put under detention after the government scrapped Article 370, in Kashmir also starts on Thursday.
