PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday equated Union government with the British colonial rule and hunger strike protest by activist Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar like sacrifices made by the freedom fighters of India against the British Raj.
The BJP has hit back at Mehbooba Mufti and termed her statement as a "publicity stunt and eccentricity".
Mufti said that Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak, is risking his life to safeguard the future of India's Gen Z which evokes "memories of the freedoms fighters to liberate India from colonial rule".
Taking a swipe at the central governing for refusing to engage with the Cockroach Janta Party protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, the PDP chief said that British may have left but "colonial mindset seems to endure".
"The British may have left but the colonial mindset seems to endure. How else can one explain the indifference of a democratically elected government that remains so callous that it refuses to engage with the youth at Jantar Mantar the very generation that will shape India's future?" Mufti said.
The distressing scenes unfolding at Jantar Mantar, where Sonam Wangchuk is risking his life to safeguard the future of our Gen Z evoke memories of the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters to liberate India from colonial rule. The British may have left but the colonial mindset…
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) July 17, 2026
BJP leader Ranbir Singh Pathania says the statement only explains Mufti's "absolute ignorance and eccentricity".
"It's pity that PDP is making such statements. This reflects her absolute ignorance and eccentricity. It appears to be a publicity stunt by Mufti to get some media attention," the BJP leader said.
Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that he's genuinely concerned about the health of Sonam Wangchuk and demanded central government to persuade him to end fast and initiate a dialogue with protesting youth.
He said that that Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for 19 days and has lost 9 kgs. Abdullah said that the government has made no effort to initiate a dialogue or persuade him to end his fast.
The J&K Chief Minister pointed out that after a hunger strike by Anna Harzare during the UPA government, Manmohan Singh had deputed ministers to engage with Hazare and convince him to end his protest.
"We are genuinely concerned about Sonam Wangchuk's health. His demands are not unreasonable, yet the government does not appear to be concerned about them," Abdullah said.
