Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, ANI reported on Friday, 5 March, quoting an official of the agency.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief has been asked to appear before the agency on 15 March.
According to PTI, criticising the summons to Mufti, People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration chairperson Farooq Abdullah said that, “political vendetta" would not help in improving the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Talking about the development, Mufti's daughter Sana Mufti told IANS, "The ED officials came to our residence to deliver a summon, but my mother was not present at home at the time."
Sana said that she has asked the officials to come to their home when her mother is there, and deliver the summons to her physically.
She further said, "It is a clear case of political vendetta. This is being done to intimidate my mother, as she has been very vocal and critical of the government after the revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. But we are not scared, as we have nothing to hide."
Release From Detention
On 13 October 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir government revoked Mufti’s detention. Mufti had been detained on the eve of the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its bifurcation into two Union Territories on 5 August 2019.
“No one of us can forget the ‘insult’ and ‘humiliation’ we faced on 5 August when Article 370 was repealed ‘illegally’ and in an ‘anti-democratic’ manner,” she said after being released.
Soon after her release, on 15 October, Mufti met National Conference leaders Farooq and Omar Abdullah at their residence along with CPI(M), People's Conference, JKPM, and ANC leaders and announced People's Alliance for ‘Gupkar Declaration’. At the meeting, the signatories demanded special status of the erstwhile state to be restored and also decided to extend their dialogue to people and all the stakeholders.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI and IANS.)
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