J&K ex-Deputy CM Gupta slams Mehbooba Mufti for halting campaign over Hezbollah chief's death

New Delhi, Sep 29
Former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Kavinder Gupta, on Sunday, reacted to Mehbooba Mufti's remarks on cancelling her campaign in support of Lebanon and Palestine following the death of Hezbollah Chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and said that the former CM of the state never takes a stand for issues in her own country.

Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had announced the suspension of her election campaign for a day after Nasrallah died in an Israeli airstrike.

Ravinder Gupta criticised Mufti's decision, stating, "It’s a good thing you are standing in solidarity, but why don’t you ever take a stand for issues in your own country? When Hindus were being persecuted in Bangladesh, you remained silent."

He further accused Mufti of promoting communal violence and terrorism by supporting such causes, adding, "When Israel was attacked earlier, you didn’t shed any tears, but now these are just crocodile tears."

Earlier on Saturday, the former CM of J&K made the announcement on social media platform X, claiming that she stands in "solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian citizens."

She wrote, "Cancelling my campaign tomorrow in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon & Gaza, especially Hassan Nasrallah. We stand with the people of Palestine & Lebanon in this hour of immense grief and exemplary resistance."

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Saturday announced that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah had been eliminated following a deadly strike on the headquarters of the Lebanese militant group in the southern suburbs of Beirut late Friday.

The Israeli Chief of Staff said after the elimination of Nasrallah, "This is not the end of the toolbox".

"The message is simple, to anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel - we will know how to get to them," he said while addressing the media on Saturday afternoon.

The IDF stated that Nasrallah will no longer be able to "terrorise the world".