SRINAGAR: The Indian government has denied a passport to former chief minister of Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) Mehbooba Mufti over national security concerns, she announced on Monday.
“Indian Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID’s report citing it as detrimental to the security of India,” the Kashmiri leader said in a tweet along with the Indian government letter.
Slamming the Indian government over the decision, Mehbooba Mufti said the rejection shows the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since August 2019. “The action showed that a former chief minister of IoK holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation,” she added.
Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID’s report citing it as ‘detrimental to the security of India. This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since Aug 2019 that an ex Chief Minister holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation. pic.twitter.com/3Z2CfDgmJy
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 29, 2021
Meanwhile, Former IoK CM Omar Abdullah also came out in support of Mehbooba Mufti. “What a shame J&K police is going along with this farce. How is it that Mehbooba Mufti was not a threat to the nation when her party was allied with the BJP?” asked Abdullah.
What a shame J&K police is going along with this farce. How is it that Mehbooba Mufti was not a threat to the nation when her party was allied with the BJP? As Chief Minister she was incharge of the Home Department & head of the Unified Command, now suddenly she’s a threat! https://t.co/Ye1tQmFIIc
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 29, 2021
“Mufti as the chief minister was incharge of the occupied territory’s home department & head of the unified command and now suddenly she has become a threat,” he added.
Abdullah and Mufti were among hundreds of Kashmiri leaders placed under detention across occupied Kashmir, since August 2019. They were placed under detention after Narendra Modi’s government scrapped the special status of occupied Kashmir.
