Srinagar, March 4 Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and President of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, expressed regret on Wednesday over what she called the "silence" of the Indian government and the ruling National Conference (NC) regarding the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mehbooba Mufti said, "For the past 5-6 days, the US and Israel have been bombing Iran, and the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was also killed in these attacks.
"We (India) were once supporters of Iran. When sanctions were imposed on India, Iran provided us with free oil. And now the global order is in complete disarray."
"The fact that the GOI and the government in Jammu & Kashmir have chosen to remain silent on the blatant aggression by the US and Israel against Iran and the martyrdom of its Supreme Leader does not mean that those who speak out are offenders who should be prosecuted," said the PDP President, referring to the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"Our leaders have not condemned these attacks. When people came out to express solidarity with Iran, many people were arrested, including some women.
"Some girls from the Shalteng area of Srinagar have also been arrested. What do we say about the country in such a situation?
"They (the BJP) have already damaged the country by playing Hindu-Muslim politics," she said.
Criticizing Muslim nations, she said, "All Muslim countries are silent spectators to this, and they are indirectly supporting the US by providing them with their bases. I feel that the recent US agreement with Saudi Arabia was all about targeting Iran."
Mehbooba Mufti said that the cases registered against the ruling NC MP, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, and the former mayor of Srinagar, Junaid Azim Mattu, were "completely unwarranted" and should be withdrawn immediately.
She was reacting to the Jammu and Kashmir Police registering cases against Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and Junaid Azim Mattu on Tuesday for allegedly circulating "false, fabricated, and misleading content" on digital and social media platforms.
"I request that all those arrested should be released, and the cases registered against Aga Syed Ruhullah and others must be withdrawn," she demanded.
She appealed to the people not to take the law into their own hands.
"Hold peaceful protests. I also condemn the ban on the media," she said.
The PDP President tore up the posters of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, during the press briefing.