Recruiting gangsters, mafias might be a culture in U.P. not J&K, says Mehbooba

She slams Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha for his remarks on alleged recruitment of terrorists and their family members in government departments by the previous regimes

Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti. File. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on March 14 reacted sharply to Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha remarks on alleged recruitment of terrorists in government departments by the previous regimes, saying that “recruiting gangsters and mafias might be a culture in Uttar Pradesh but not in J&K”.

“L-G Sinha is from Uttar Pradesh. He might be speaking from his experience in U.P.,” Ms. Mufti said.

Mr. Sinha on Monday said, “Those who gave jobs to terrorists and their families have no right to talk about fair recruitment. There is an attempt to derail the process of job distribution. Jobs will be provided on merit and through an impartial process.” He was reacting to the controversy regarding the hiring of Aptech Ltd., a Mumbai-based “blacklisted” company, to start the job selection process from March 16 in J&K.

Ms. Mufti said as Chief Minister, she scrapped 12,000 FIRs registered against youth and brought the country’s top leadership to the table for talks with the Hurriyat. “We ensured peaceful life for border residents while executing one month ceasefire on Line of Control,” she said.

Ms. Mufti recalled how political leaders from the Opposition parties were put under arrest and regretted that the national leaders did not comprehend the situation in J&K.

She also accused the Centre of trampling the Constitution as leaders of Opposition parties were being jailed In New Delhi “without any reason by misusing the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation”.

“They (national leaders) have also realised that J&K has been made a laboratory where experiments are being done. They may now feel the problems of the people in J&K,” she said.

Ms. Mufti, who is touring the Pir Panjal Valley, visited family members of those killed by militants on January 1 in the Dhangri area of Rajouri. “The administration swiftly claims to resolve the cases of targeted minority killings in Kashmir. It has been close to two and half months but no progress seems to have been made to identify the culprits of the Dhangri incident despite the case being handed over to a Central agency,” Ms. Mufti said.