SRINAGAR, AUGUST 8: Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Saturday termed the controversy surrounding the FIR registered against PDP leader Iltija Mufti as a “fixed match”, alleging that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was attempting to divert public attention from remarks made by party president Mehbooba Mufti at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in south Kashmir, Itoo said the ongoing focus on the FIR was being used to shift the narrative away from the statement made by Mehbooba Mufti during the PDP’s protest in Delhi.
“There is a scripted narrative being created. The real issue is the statement Mehbooba Mufti made at Jantar Mantar. The FIR is only a diversionary tactic,” Itoo said, according to reports.
The controversy erupted after Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter Iltija Mufti were booked in connection with allegations of assaulting a police officer during a PDP protest in the national capital on August 6. The demonstration was organised in connection with the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370
While police have alleged that Iltija Mufti assaulted a police officer during the demonstration, the PDP has rejected the allegation, with Iltija Mufti claiming that she was manhandled by police personnel.
The FIR has since triggered a fresh political confrontation between the ruling National Conference and the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, with leaders from both sides exchanging allegations over the incident and its political fallout.
Itoo’s remarks come amid heightened political debate over the Jantar Mantar protest and the statements made during the demonstration, with the PDP continuing to challenge the action taken against its leaders.(KNC)
