PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti alleges ‘forced mobilisation’ for PM Modi's Srinagar event

As thousands of people from Jammu and Kashmir thronged the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's event, People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the administration was forcing government employees to attend the event to paint a “pretty picture" about Jammu and Kashmir.

“Disheartening to see employees being forcibly mobilized to paint a pretty picture that all is well post 2019 & that people here are celebrating their own collective disempowerment & humiliation. But this time that everything spoken at Bakshi stadium will be to showcase the so called benefits of illegal abrogation of Article 370 akin to putting salt to their wounds," Mufti said in a post on X

“This visit is only meant to address & core constituency in the rest of India for the upcoming parliament elections," she added while sharing the video of people waiting for a bus. 

The leader of another prominent party in Kashmir, National Conference's (NC) , also alleged that participation in PM Modi's event was compulsory for government employees, and many are being threatened with disciplinary action for not showing up.

“Employees, men, and women in thousands are being asked to assemble between 4:30 am and 5:30 am in the freezing temperatures to be bused to the venue. This participation isn't optional, it's compulsory. Employees who don't show up are being by their department heads," the National Conference leader said.

"Tomorrow the godi media and agencies will be gushing about the 'historic crowd' gathered to hear PM Modi in Srinagar. What they will conveniently forget to mention is that almost none of the people there will be attending of their own free will. The dictatorial Jammu and Kashmir government