A Peoples Democratic Party leader was arrested on Friday after describing slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani as a martyr during an event in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, according to officials. The statement quickly ignited a political row, leading Mehbooba Mufti's party to assert that the remarks represented the individual's personal opinion rather than the official stance of the organization.
Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Sharma confirmed the arrest, stating that police had taken the leader into custody and that subsequent legal proceedings were underway. Defending his comments, Abdul Kabir asserted that his choice of vocabulary was a personal matter and brought up past political actions surrounding Wani's 2016 death.
Burhan Wani, who had emerged as a prominent figure for militancy in the Kashmir Valley, was shot dead during an encounter with security forces on July 8, 2016, in the Kokernag sector of south Kashmir's Anantnag district. Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of a party gathering, Kabir defended his statements by referencing actions taken by BJP leaders following the militant's death and maintained that citizens retain the democratic freedom to choose their terminology.
Kabir also reflected on the historical coalition government between the PDP and the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that Mehbooba Mufti had kept the BJP constrained during their time in power. He alleged that the BJP ultimately betrayed the PDP and caused the collapse of the administration, adding that party members had endured significant hardship since that time.
Meanwhile, the PDP moved swiftly to distance itself from the escalating controversy. Party spokesperson Virender Singh Sonu noted that while Kabir was a member of the party, he did not hold an official office-bearer position, reiterating that his comments were strictly personal and did not reflect the party line. Kishtwar district PDP president Sheikh Nasir additionally stated that Kabir had made no controversial statements inside the official party event, noting that the remarks occurred later during separate conversations with the press.