Srinagar, October 7: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday took a dig at the Supreme Court on Monday for prioritising the Aarey issue over the Kashmir one.  She criticised the apex court for hearing petitions against tree felling in Mumbai's Aarey colony and delaying verdict on pleas against the abrogation of  Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which took place in August. In a tweet, Mufti said that trees of Aarey colony are more important to the government that the lives of Kashmiri people. PDP Delegation To Meet Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar on Monday, Two Months After Her Detention.

After the Supreme Court’s decision to stop cutting trees in Aarey, the PDP chief took to Twitter. In another tweet, she said, “Glad that activists were able to stop felling of trees at Aarey. One wonders why Kashmiris have been deprived of the very same right to free speech & expression. GOI claims they are now at par with other Indians, but truth is they’ve been stripped of even fundamental rights.” Aarey Tree Felling: Supreme Court Orders Maharashtra Government to Stop Cutting Trees For Proposed Mumbai Metro Car Shed, Next Hearing on October 21.

Mehbooba Mufti's Tweet:

After Mufti was detained, following the abrogation of Article, 370, her Twitter handle has been managed by her daughter Iltija. Yesterday, a delegation of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader from Jammu province was granted permission to meet Mufti. On August 21, the Mufti family was denied permission to meet the former Chief Minister and her ageing mother Gulshan Mufti.

Currently, 15 petitions on Kashmir are still pending before various courts. According to The Telegraph, nine of these petitions that challenge the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir have been clubbed together and will be heard in early October.

On Sunday, former National Conference MLAs also met party president National Conference and his son Omar Abdullah. It was the first meeting of the NC leaders since the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The restrictions in the valley have been relaxed since the government announced Block Development elections. Around 400 political leaders and activists were under detention or house arrest after the Centre’s move to scrap the special status of the state and to divide it into two union territories.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 07, 2019 03:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).