Mehbooba Mufti, president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed her surprise on Wednesday about the FIR lodged against her for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). She remarked that the PDP is facing repercussions for speaking the truth.
The FIR was filed following a protest organized by the PDP on May 25, where the main road in Bijbehara, Anantnag, was blocked to oppose the detention of party workers.
Mehbooba Mufti took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express her views: “Amusing to find an FIR filed against me for apparently flouting MCC. This is the price PDP has paid for speaking truth to power. Our protest was against GOI in cahoots with local administration for detaining hundreds of PDP polling agents & workers in the hours leading up to voting. Still not satisfied, the same administration went on to launch Cordon & Search Operations in traditional PDP stronghold areas to terrorize our voters and prevent them from exercising their right to vote. Ulta chor kotwal ko daante.”
Officials described the protest as a “gross violation” of the MCC. The FIR charges Mehbooba with violating Section 144.
The police statement in the FIR noted: “On 25.05.2024, a large number of PDP workers led by Madam Mehbooba Mufti gathered in Bijbehara town, raising slogans for the release of PDP workers. This constituted a gross violation of the MCC. The large group of PDP workers also blocked the main road and staged a protest at the main spot in Bijbehara for more than an hour, which violates Section 144 CrPC imposed in the 3-Anantnag-Rajouri Constituency by order of the District Magistrate concerned.”