PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday (August 13) hit back at Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha and said that the present administration carried the national flag surrounded by a posse of security personnel while former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru stood with the Tricolour amongst “a sea of enthusiastic Kashmiris” in Srinagar in 1949.
Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks came after the LG participated in a ‘Tiranga’ rally in Srinagar reminding the former chief minister that there were enough people carrying the Tricolour.
Participating in the rally organised as part of Independence Day celebrations, Sinha, in an apparent reference to the PDP president, said those who claimed that there won't be anyone left in Jammu and Kashmir to raise the tiranga should have seen the turnout at the rally.
Retorting to the LG, Mufti said, “Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru with the tiranga standing tall amongst a sea of enthusiastic Kashmiris at Lal chowk Srinagar circa 1949. LG administration carrying the same national flag surrounded by a posse of security personnel in 2023”.
Notably, Mufti had said in the run-up to the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 that if Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked, there will be no one left to raise the national flag.
Security beefed up in J-K
Meanwhile, security has been heightened across Jammu, especially along the borders with Pakistan, to foil attempts to disrupt peace in the region ahead of Independence Day.
Massive 'tiranga' rallies are being held in the region.
The army and Border Security Force have intensified their vigil all along the 225-km Line of Control (LoC) and 192-km International Border (IB), officials said.
Area domination and checking in the hinterland have also been stepped up as part of the heightened security arrangements, they said.
Police have issued a security advisory in the border district of Rajouri, seeking people's cooperation during checking and also asked them to report to security agencies any suspicious movement or object.
(With PTI inputs)
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