Mufti alleges foul play after OGW jumps in J&K river, drowns; BJP slams her
In a shocking incident, an overground worker (OGW) of a separatist outfit jumped into the River Veshaw in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir and drowned. The incident has sparked a controversy with former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti alleging foul play and the BJP slaming her for her remarks.
According to reports, the OGW, identified as 35-year-old Abdul Rashid, was picked up by the Army two days ago. However, he managed to escape and jumped into the river, which is about 100 feet deep, on Wednesday evening. Despite efforts to rescue him, Rashid’s body was recovered from the river on Thursday morning.
Mufti, who is the president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), tweeted about the incident, saying, “Just heard about the tragic death of an overground worker in Kulgam. Locals tell me he was picked up by the Army 2 days ago. Foul play suspected. Why are our security forces resorting to such tactics? Is this the new normal?”
Her tweet sparked a fierce reaction from the BJP, with party leader Sanju Verma hitting back at her. “Mehbooba, after the Pahalgam terror attack, you said, ‘Why blame Pakistan?'” Verma tweeted. “Now, you’re trying to deflect attention by making baseless allegations against the Army. We won’t let you get away with it.”
Verma’s tweet was a clear reference to Mufti’s earlier statement on the Pahalgam terror attack, where she had said that the attack was not a terrorist incident and that India should not rush to blame Pakistan.
The BJP’s reaction was swift and strong, with many party leaders taking to social media to slam Mufti’s comments. “Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks are an attack on the morale of our armed forces,” tweeted BJP leader and former Union Minister, Jitendra Singh. “She is trying to create confusion and undermine the efforts of our security forces to maintain peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir.”
The Army has denied Mufti’s allegations, saying that Rashid was not picked up by them and that the incident was a tragic accident. “We have no information about the individual in question being picked up by the Army,” said a senior Army officer. “The incident is being investigated, and we will take appropriate action if any foul play is found.”
The PDP, on the other hand, has stood by Mufti’s remarks, saying that the party has been raising concerns about the human rights abuses and custodial deaths in Jammu and Kashmir for a long time. “We have seen many cases of alleged human rights abuses and custodial deaths in the state,” said a PDP spokesperson. “We will continue to raise our voices against such incidents and demand justice for the victims.”
The incident has once again highlighted the complex and sensitive nature of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. While the BJP has accused Mufti of trying to create confusion and undermine the efforts of the security forces, the PDP has maintained that the party is only trying to highlight the human rights abuses and custodial deaths in the state.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the controversy will play out and what the long-term implications will be for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
