Mehbooba served notice for violations of Covid norms

Jammu: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti has been found guilty of violating Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and other standard operating procedures by the Union Territory administration.

According to official sources,  after the PDP chief addressed a  largely attended public gathering in South Kashmir area of Shopian on August 25, Executive Magistrate Ist class/ Tehsildar Shopian served her a notice to explain as to why action under the relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code may not be initiated against you for violations of Covid appropriate behaviour and SoP's.

“It has come to the notice that PDP President Mehbooba Mufti had called a public gathering beyond the prescribed number and the time in violation of the COVID-19 SOPs in vogue. I am serving a notice under Section 51(b) of the Disaster Management Act (DMA) 2005 and you are directed to explain as to why action under the relevant sections of the DMA and the Indian Penal Code may not be initiated against you”.

Responding to the notice on Fiday PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti dragged the name of Lt-Governor Manoj Sinha in her crisply drafted reply.

Instead of explaining, the position with regard to



violations of Covid 19- appropriate behaviour Mehbooba Mufti  said, "it was strange and baffling that on the very same day Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha presided over a function attended by hundreds of people and that too indoors.Why wasn't the same yardstick applied to Honorable L-G"? 

"COVID-19 virus does not discriminate but unfortunately it’s painfully obvious that this administration does. Your actions reek of bias, and political space for those who disagree with the ruling party is deliberately being choked".

She also alleged that since she had been released from detention, “a clear pattern has emerged in which my public interaction programmes and movement is intentionally thwarted, cancelled or prevented. Earlier the excuse invoked was security restrictions and now COVID-19 has become the preferred alibi used by this administration. In the past few months, political gatherings of other political parties were in fact facilitated and encouraged by the administration,” she alleged.

The former chief minister said she owes it to her people to hear their grievances and the pain they are subjected to."This is the very least one can do  and therefore I will continue to reach out and engage with my people,"she added while responding to the notice served to her