Breaking silence on PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s visit to families of militants, the Hizbul Mujahideen on Sunday asked them to disallow her from entering their houses.

In an unverified 20-minute audio, Hizbul Mujahideen’s operational commander Riyaz Naikoo, termed Mehbooba’s visit to the families as a “new drama”.

Mehbooba has so far visited the families of two militants — one among them was killed by security forces in November last. She also visited family members of soldier-turned-Hizbul militant Idrees Sultan of Safanagri in Shopian. National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah later lashed out at Mehbooba for using “dead militants to appease the voter.”

“You know that Mehbooba has started a new drama... Mehbooba is going to families of militants to show sympathy and says the police receive directions from somewhere to harass their families. When she was in power, families of militants were harassed then too. Who was giving directions to the police then?” Naikoo said in the audio clip

The Hizb chief said Mehbooba is “shedding crocodile’s tears on the death of civilians and militants”.

“When she was in power, civilians were killed then too. Then she was trying to appease Delhi and the BJP by giving statements like ‘had they (stone throwers) gone to buy toffee.’ Now she is not in power, and she says the police are getting directions from somewhere to harass ultras’ families,” Naikoo said, adding that as the elections were near, she was sympathising with people. “I have requested the families of militants not to allow her into their house... Whenever she visits you, throw her out. She is sympathetic to India not us,” he said, adding that they know who facilitates Mehbooba’s visit to militant families.

Reacting to the unfurling of an Islamic State flag by some masked youth on the pulpit of Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid last week, Naikoo called them Indian agents and said they want to defame the “freedom struggle” internationally.

Courtesy:The Tribune,Jan,07,2019