SRINAGAR: A day after PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said she won’t raise the tri-colour till J&K’s flag and the constitution were restored, the BJP on Saturday hit out at the former CM, terming her remarks as "anti-national" and "disrespectful".
The BJP has warned Mehbooba and her party that if they continue to follow the "anti-national" and "separatists path", they would be treated with the way separatists are dealt with, threatening that the PDP can even be banned for such activities.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that Article 370, which gave the erstwhile state a special status and was revoked last year, will not be restored. It was removed following a proper constitutional process and both Houses of Parliament approved it with overwhelming numbers, he said.
Senior BJP leader and former deputy CM Kavinder Gupta told this newspaper that Mehbooba’s remarks show her anti-national mindset, which cannot be tolerated. "They are frustrated and venting their frustration through these anti-national remarks. Her party has been split and 70 per cent of her party leaders have left her. She has herself surrendered to Farooq Abdullah’s party," he said.
In her first press conference after her release from over 14-month detention, Mehbooba on Friday said she won’t raise tri-colour until J&K’s constitution and Article 370 were restored.
She has also announced not to contest any election till the special status is restored. Gupta said a sedition case can be filed against her for such statements. Hitting backing the BJP, Mehbooba tweeted: "The Flag of India flag was disrespected the day BJP leaders carried it to justify rapists of a 9-year-old. Spare me the lessons."