Srinagar: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday claimed several leaders and workers of her party were placed under house arrest to prevent them from protesting against the government over the issue of “outsourcing” of government jobs.
“The NC government repeatedly hides behind the excuse that the police department is beyond its control whenever questions of accountability arise. Yet, whenever young people peacefully raise their voices for justice be it the rationalisation of reservations or opposing backdoor appointments the same government functions in complete coordination with the police to crush every democratic expression of dissent,” she charged in a post on X.
Police were yet to comment on Mufti’s claim.
The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said the National Conference (NC) government’s “hypocrisy” stands “fully exposed,” as PDP leaders and workers across the valley were placed under house arrest to prevent a peaceful protest against the outsourcing of government jobs.
“This selective helplessness exposes their duplicity. Their duplicity is further exposed when departments such as Housing, Revenue and Forest readily enlist police assistance to demolish the homes of poor and vulnerable families in the name of anti encroachment drives,” she said.
The PDP has alleged that the NC government has made backdoor appointments in several departments by using private outsourcing agencies.
However, on Sunday, Chief Minister’s Advisor, Nasir Aslam Wani, accompanied by ministers Sakina Ittoo and Javed Dar, addressed a press conference to counter the allegations levelled by the opposition.
Police here foiled the PDP’s protest march against the alleged backdoor recruitment at the Press Enclave here.
Several PDP leaders and activists reached the Press Enclave to protest as part of the party’s plans to protest across the valley.
However, police stopped the PDP workers and foiled their protest. Meanwhile, protest marches were taken out by the youth wing of the PDP in Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Bandipora, and Ganderbal.
Carrying placards that read “save jobs, save youth”, “don’t steal our future” and “don’t sell our jobs”, the PDP youth activists marched in these areas and shouted slogans against the government. They later dispersed peacefully. Mufti expressed gratitude to the party workers for “courageously” speaking “truth to power”.
