Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti sharply criticized the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday for attaching the Hyderpora residence of late separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. This house, which served as the headquarters for Geelani’s outfit Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, is located in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
During a press interaction in Anantnag, Mufti condemned the police’s actions as “unfortunate and inhuman.” She highlighted that Geelani’s widow, who is 80 years old, continues to reside in the home. “Today is Gandhi Ji’s day. He once said he saw a ray of light in Kashmir when the whole of Asia was burning. Now the same Kashmir is seen as criminal, its people as criminals, their homes and businesses as criminals,” she stated.
Mufti accused the government of criminalizing the lives of ordinary Kashmiris. “Geelani Sahib has left this world, but his widow lives there. You might have differences with him, just as we have with RSS ideology, but attaching his home is inhuman. The BJP protested across Bihar over an insult to ‘mother’, but here even an 80-year-old widow has not been spared,” Mufti added.
She warned that such actions only worsen feelings of alienation among the people of Kashmir. “By attaching Geelani’s house, you are not reducing distances but widening them. You banned JEI schools, targeted madrasas, and now you attach homes. What have you made of Kashmir?” she asked with pointed concern.
Mufti drew parallels to global conflicts, emphasizing the need for dialogue. “Even Israel and Hamas are attempting dialogue, but in Kashmir—where people stood with you in 1947—you are criminalizing them. This is very bad,” she remarked.
Earlier, on Wednesday, a spokesperson from the Jammu and Kashmir Police announced the attachment of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat headquarters under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). They confirmed that the three-story house, encompassing one kanal and one marla of land in Hyderpora, had been utilized by Geelani to manage his organization. The Union Home Ministry had previously banned Tehreek-e-Hurriyat in 2023, citing its role in “fomenting terrorism and spreading anti-India propaganda.” Geelani passed away in September 2022 at the same residence and was laid to rest nearby.
Continuing her critique, Mufti accused the ruling BJP of inciting communal tensions to distract from its failures. “They have no jobs, no hospitals, no roads. So they divide Hindus and Muslims to seek votes. What should I say about Yogi Ji, Bulldozer Baba? May God give them wisdom,” she remarked, expressing disappointment in the current governance.
