The Hindu : National : Mehbooba Mufti gives securitymen the slip

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 09, 2007
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National

National

Mehbooba Mufti gives securitymen the slip

Special Correspondent

"We have proved our point; now it is up to the Chief Minister to act"

Mehbooba Mufti

SRINAGAR: People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday put the entire security set-up into a tizzy when she left for Aishmuqam in Anantnag district without taking any security cover. Senior PDP leader Ghulam Hassan Mir accompanied her.

Ms. Mehbooba, who is protected by the Special Security Group (SSG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police, left in a private car early in the morning, giving the securitymen guarding her residence as also those protecting her round-the-clock the slip. She reached Aishmuqam, around 80 km from here, where she visited the family of a local Imam who passed away four days ago. Ms Mufti, according to reports, spent some time there and returned to Srinagar.

However, a posse of security men immediately followed her but did not disturb her programme. "We were caught unawares but we immediately followed her," said a police officer. But Ms. Mehbooba told The Hindu that she did not see the securitymen anywhere. "We went in the car and returned to Srinagar without any security cover." She said: "We have proved our point; now it is up to the Chief Minister to act."

"We are even ready to accompany him [Mr. Azad] to meet with the Prime Minister to press for the demand of withdrawal of troops and AFSPA [Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act]," Ms. Mehbooba said.

The PDP president's "daring act" to visit militancy infested areas without security cover comes in wake of a rift between Mr. Azad and the PDP on the issue of withdrawal of troops and the AFSPA.

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