Kashmir Politician Dares Gov't to Hoist Indian Tricolor on Other Side of Ladakh

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday dared the federally governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hoist India's national flag in “territories occupied by China,” apparently referring to the area on the other side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) - a loose line of demarcation that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory.

The remarks came days after the BJP held a "Tiranga (the tricolor) Rally" from Jammu and Kashmir's capital city Srinagar to Kargil in the Ladakh region, to mark 23rd anniversary of the 1999 Kargil War fought between India and Pakistan.

“You [BJP] have politicized the [Indian] flag. If you really want to hoist the flag, hoist it in 1000 square kilometers of our territory occupied by China. Take back the territory and hoist the flag there," Mehbooba, who was the last state chief of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir with the BJP supporting her as an alliance partner.

Mehbooba also said that unless the Kashmir issue is resolved, it would remain like a clog for the party’s ambition to raise India to a leading position in the world.

“India can become vishwaguru [world leader] because it has the democracy and secularism to earn it. But you are ravaging it. You should put your own house in order and only then this dream can be realized,” Mehbooba said.

The former state chief also pitched for rekindling India-Pakistan relations and building stronger ties between countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) instead of pinning hopes on the G7, G20, or Quad groups.

The SAARC is an eight-member grouping that includes India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.

“India is still unable to lead its own neighbors like Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and other countries in SAARC. India should realize that the way to become vishwaguru [world leader] goes from SAARC and not from G7, G20 or Quad,” Mehbooba added.

Mehbooba also called for engagement with the much-hyped China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“J&K has the potential to become a gateway to Central and South Asia and should be made into a model state for SAARC cooperation. Why can't this part of Kashmir become strategic to the world like Pakistan and China have done to their respective parts of Kashmir," she said.