Srinagar, Sep 23 (KNS) PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday alleged that the BJP was "subverting" India's electoral process by fudging electoral rolls, warning the country could end up resembling a "banana republic", while accusing Pakistan of crushing dissent with an iron hand even as it projects itself as a peacemaker.
Addressing reporters here, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) said India and Pakistan were trying to undo each other and competing with each other.
Our country, India, which is seen as the largest democracy in the world and which our Prime Minister proudly talks about as the mother of democracy whenever he is abroad—so today they are trying to subvert the very fundamental of the Indian democracy, which is the electoral process, by fudging the electoral rolls, which the two election commissioners have pointed out, she said.
Mehbooba Mufti said if the alleged deletion and addition of electoral rolls by the BJP continues, there are dangers that at some point of time our country which is the largest democracy in the world is going to resemble a banana republic.
Look at, I mean, detaining Imran Khan's sisters who are unarmed, who are protesting very peacefully, just because they are trying to stand up for their brother. What does it speak? You are going around the world as a peacemaker and you are detaining women who have no weapons in their hands, she said.
Mehbooba Mufti, however, said the only silver lining was that India still had people like the two election commissioners who have the courage and integrity to question the people in power.
But unfortunately in Pakistan, there are no such voices within the establishment who can question the arbitrary detention of Imran Khan's sister. It's a very, very sorry state of affairs, she said.
Asked about 13 crore names in the draft voters list across 30 states and union territories, she said, "That's what I say. If it continues like this, if we do not have people like the two election commissioners—I don't want to take their name at this point of time."
I don't know what trouble they are going to go through. They will have to deal with EDs and income tax. What will happen to them? But if we continue like this, there will be a time when we are going to resemble a banana republic. There will be no democracy, Mehbooba Mufti said. (KNS)
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