Jammu: Hours after a school teacher Rizwan Asad Pandit was killed under the police custody at Cargo component Srinagar, former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday raised finger at the functioning of the National Investigating Agency (NIA) in the state.
“Youth in Kashmir is being pushed towards alienation and destruction due to “repressive approach” adopted by the Government of India,” Ms Mufti told media, here.
She however, alleged that the Rizwan, who was a government school teacher, was killed in NIA’s custody and termed it as unfortunate.
“He was picked up and killed in CARGO, which was infamous in 1990 for murders,” said Ms Mufti adding that the exercise of CARGO was stopped by former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Meanwhile, NIA has denied having any role in arrest of Rizwan.
The PDP chief said that the NIA is active in Jammu and Kashmir since 2009, when National Conference-Congress regime was in power and said that the custodial killing incident has raised question mark of NIA’s credibility.
She however, said that a youth recently attacked a convoy of security forces in Pulwama, after which both nuclear powers India and Pakistan trained-guns on each other and there was a war like situation.
Ms Mufti further demanded that to restore people’s faith, NIA should launch investigation, identify the culprit and award punishment.
She also reacted to the former chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah’s statement wherein he blamed PDP for prevailing situation in the state by providing free access to the BJP in Kashmir.
“There is Governor’s Rule in the state from past two months and PDP is sitting in opposition,” she said and added, “if Mr Abdullah still thinks that PDP is responsible for every mess, then what I would say on his wisdom.”
She asserted that fake-encounters, arrests, custodial killings started way back in 1996 during National Conference’s rule and now Mr Abdullah speaking on ethics do not suits him.” ( (UNI))