“You promised to make Jammu and Kashmir safe, but instead of fulfilling that promise, your policies have made Delhi unsafe,” Mufti attacked the BJP-led Central government.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti has sharply criticised the Centre following the November 10 suicide blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, asserting that the Government’s policies have neither calmed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir nor ensured safety elsewhere in the country.
Citing the attack in the national capital, she argued that “the troubles of Kashmir echoed right in front of the Red Fort,” contradicting the Centre’s claim that normalcy had returned to the region.
In a post on X, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari responded to her sand said, “Mufti, who backed terrorist Burhan Wani, now justifies terrorists of the Red Fort Blast. Says – ‘Hindu Muslim and hate responsible for terrorism’.”
He added, “Why does Indian Opposition led by Congress not resist in backing terrorists?” and labelled the PDP as the “Pro Terrorist Development Party (PTDP)”.
Mufti’s remarks came in the backdrop of the National Investigation Agency revealing that the explosion was triggered by a “vehicle-borne IED” driven by a Kashmir-based “suicide bomber.” The blast, which killed 13 people and injured many others, was carried out by Umar Nabi.
Investigators later arrested a resident of Kashmir accused of working with Umar Un Nabi to plan the attack. The NIA also confirmed that Amir Rashid Ali, whose name appeared on the vehicle’s registration, had been detained in Delhi.
Pointing to these developments, Mufti raised concerns about the larger national atmosphere. “If a well-educated youth, a doctor, kills himself and others by strapping RDX to his body, it means there is no safety in the nation,” she said, questioning whether policymakers in New Delhi “really understand what is happening.”
According to her, the event symbolised a deeper crisis that the Government had failed to grasp or address.
Referring to the Centre’s claims that peace had returned to the Valley, she countered, “You told the world that everything is alright in Kashmir,” yet, she said, the impact of unresolved tensions became visible in the heart of the capital. Mufti argued that the Government’s assurances about securing Jammu and Kashmir had not been fulfilled.
“You promised to make Jammu and Kashmir safe, but instead of fulfilling that promise, your policies have made Delhi unsafe,” she remarked.
Mufti also linked the attack to what she described as a climate of hostility. In her view, an environment filled with distrust and division had created fertile ground for anger and extremism. “Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians used to live together peacefully, but now the entire atmosphere is filled with hate. This hate-filled environment is pushing the youth toward a dangerous path,” she said.
Mufti added that the ruling establishment had been relying on polarisation instead of building trust and addressing long-standing grievances. “You may get votes by doing Hindu-Muslim politics, but in which direction is the nation heading?” she asked.
Revisiting the Centre’s decisions and actions in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, Mufti accused the authorities of ruling through fear rather than dialogue. She claimed that after promising security and stability, the Government resorted to harsh measures.
“You arrested people, detained journalists, and booked individuals under the PSA. You had promised to make Jammu and Kashmir a safe place, but instead, you have created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation here,” she alleged.
Drawing a connection between the region’s unrest and the attack in Delhi, she asserted that the consequences of alienation were now being felt far outside the Valley. “Now the trouble of Kashmir spoke in front of the Red Fort in Delhi. You had promised to make Jammu and Kashmir safe, but because of your actions, even Delhi has become unsafe,” she said.
Mufti cautioned that deepening communal fault lines would only escalate tensions. “Do they think that creating a Hindu-Muslim divide, more blasts, and more bloodshed will fetch them more votes? The country is bigger than power,” she said, urging the youth to resist destructive paths.
She appealed to them directly: “I want to tell the youth that what they are doing is wrong, wrong for themselves, their families, for Jammu and Kashmir, and for the entire country. You are taking such a big risk because you are ruining your loved ones’ lives. The lives of many innocent people are at stake. This has been hurting me a lot for the last few days.”
Earlier, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that (terror) modules are being busted and hailed the security forces for recovering the incriminating materials after arresting the terrorists.
Singh told reporters, “Six people have been arrested, and the investigation is going on, and all the accused will not be spared. Our government will expose the accused at all levels… We cannot comment on when or how this RDX was brought it. It could be here for years. Investigation is underway. Modules are being busted. Drugs are being recovered… It is the success of our agencies that incriminating materials in such large quantities were seized and terrorists were arrested.”
