'Will salute Amit Shah if he dares to roam freely in Kashmir': Iltija Mufti says Valley angry with Centre, asserts she isn't anti-India for opposing BJP

Iltija Mufti, daughter of incarcerated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is either being misled or he is "intentionally misleading the country" on Kashmir. Speaking at a press conference held in Delhi, Iltija was quoted as saying by The Hindu, "I respect Prime Minister Modi. But I don't know if he is being misled or he is misleading the country intentionally."

Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti speaks during a press interaction in New Delhi. PTI

She said that though people of Kashmir are angry with local political leaders like Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, "they are more angry with the central government". "Let Amit Shah go there and see by himself...I will do a salaam to Amit Shah if he roams around freely in Kashmir," Iltija said.

In her address to the media, Iltija also questioned the filing of an FIR against 200 Kashmiris for using social media. She was quoted by India Today as saying, "I will go to Kashmir and use VPN. Let them slap an FIR against me."

The Union Territory's administration on 14 January had issued an order banning all social media sites to curb their misuse by miscreants for propagating false information and rumours.

Iltija said on Tuesday that the Centre is fishing in troubled waters, and that it will "backfire in its face." She further asserted, "I am not anti-India because I am speaking against the BJP. My loyalty lies with the country, it is not mortgaged to the BJP."

Mehbooba Mufti has been in detention since 5 August. She, along with several other regional leaders in the erstwhile state, was placed under detention shortly before the Union government passed two legislations to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution revoking the erstwhile state's special status and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories.

Iltija has been handling her mother's Twitter account since the latter was placed under detention. She has been vocal in her criticism of the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent restrictions imposed in Kashmir.

With inputs from PTI

February 19, 2020 at 07:56AM