KASHMIR: Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) office in Jammu has been attacked by an angry mob on Sunday.
The incident took place a day after party chief Mehbooba Mufti said she will not unfurl the national flag until she brings back the flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to media reports, a group of unidentified men forcibly hoisted the Indian tricolour at the Jammu office of the Peoples Democratic Party.
PDP’s Jammu office attacked day after Mehbooba’s remark on J&K and national flag https://t.co/WEoTu0ADVK via @ThePrintIndia
Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti had Friday said she will not raise the tricolour until the flag of the erstwhile state was allowed to be raised as well.
— Syeda Yasmeen Ali (@yasmeen_9) October 25, 2020
The party’s former MLA, Firdous Tak, and another leader got into an argument with the men, following which the police dispersed the people. The tricolour was also removed by the police, it stated.
“Few right-wingers” attacked him and another leader Parvez Waffa who were present at the office Tak tweeted. He said the attack was clearly a reaction to Mehbooba’s comment.
The PDP chief’s remark has drawn criticism from both state units of the BJP and Congress, which viewed it as “intolerable”.
In her first press conference after being released from detention of 14 months, Mehbooba Mufti said she would raise the Indian flag only when Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) flag, constitution and special status (under Article 370) were restored.
She categorically said that she would hold the Indian flag in her hands only when the J&K flag was back, pointing to the erstwhile state’s flag placed in front of her alongside her party’s flag.
The Indian flag was relevant only because of the constitution. “But they themselves desecrated our (J&K) flag and the constitution,” NDTV’s website quoted her as saying at the presser.
She said that she would not contest any election until Article 370 is restored. “I have contested elections under our own constitution. How can I contest elections when that constitution has been abolished?”
Ms Mufti went on to declare: “A robber may be mighty but he has to return the stolen goods. They demolished the constitution… Parliament had no power to take away J&K’s special status,” she told reporters.
