Twitter
Advertisement

Don't risk your lives for me, junior Mufti tells voters

Tasaduq was speaking after kick-starting his election campaign at Anantnag here on Saturday.

Latest News
article-main
Mufti Tasaduq Hussian and Mehbooba
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

"Don't risk your lives for my victory. First and foremost, protect yourself." That was Mufti Tasaduq Hussian, younger brother of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate from Anantnag parliamentary constituency for April 12 bypolls.

Tasaduq was speaking after kick-starting his election campaign at Anantnag here on Saturday. His unusual appeal comes against the backdrop of militant threats and separatists' calls for boycott of by-elections to Srinagar and Anantnag constituencies, to be held on April 9 and 12 respectively. Militants had even put up posters in Pulwama district asking people to stay away from the polls.

A trained cinematographer from the US, Tasaduq is a known name in the Bollywood. He made a debut in Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara in 2006 and his camera work received rave reviews. Tasaduq went on to win Zee Cine Award for Best Cinematography and Star Screen Award Best Cinematographer in 2006 for Omkara. Tasaduq teamed up with Bhardwaj again in 2009 for Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra starrer Kaminay, which was received well on the box office.

"Let me tell you that I am always with you...I want to tell you to be happy. We will continue to meet. Inshallah (God willing) whether I become MP or not, but we will win," he said.

Tasaduq, who formally joined PDP on his father Mufti Mohommad Sayeed's first death anniversary on January 7, has been a reluctant politician. In fact, sources said late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed wanted Tasaduq to join politics and contest elections in 1996 when he was in the Congress. However, he was then under-aged to contest polls.

Eventually, late Mufti convinced his eldest daughter Mehbooba Mufti to contest assembly polls from home constituency of Bijbhera in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. Mehbooba won the election and later became the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader despite being the first-time MLA.

Tasaduq's foray into electoral politics has come at a worse time given that PDP led government is battling mounting anger and unpopularity in its traditional bastion of south Kashmir. The South Kashmir region was the epicentre of last year's unrest and most of the killings and pellet injuries were reported from this region.

Meanwhile, police arrested JKLF leader Mohommad Yasin Malik on Saturday in a bid to prevent him from leading the anti-election campaign. Several other leaders were either put under house detention or detained in police stations.

"The move is aimed at preventing the JKLF chief from carrying out an election boycott campaign," said the JKLF spokesman.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement