Mumbai: BJP ally Shiv Sena on Monday demanded former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti be booked under newly-amended anti-terror law for using "terrorism language" against opponents of Article 35 A, which grants special rights to the permanent residents of Kashmir.
In an editorial published in its Marathi mouthpiece "Saamana", the Uddhav Thackeray-led party also supported the government's move to curtail the annual Amarnath Yatra. "(Mehbooba) Mufti had said that hands of those who would touch the article 35 A should be burned (and that) the Kashmiri people should be ready for sacrifice. The Home Minister of the country should not entertain such language of instigation and rebellion. It is the language of terrorism. She (Mufti) should be sent to jail under the new UAPA...If not done, their conspiracy to trigger riots in Kashmir will succeed," Sena said.
The new amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act empowers the Central government to designate an individual as terrorist and seize his properties. The amendment was approved by Parliament on August 2. "Cutting short of the Amarnath Yatra may invite some criticism but sometimes you need to take a step back to go four steps ahead," the edit said.
The government had curtailed the pilgrimage in the Himalayan state citing terror threat to pilgrims. On the security build-up in J&K, the Sena said, "the way the Union government has deployed armed forces in Kashmir, and if they intend to take action against terrorism, then one should give up the hope of resolving the Kashmir issue through dialogue. The Centre should go ahead with its plan without any doubts".
