NEW DELHI: Asiya Andrabi, the founder of women separatist outfit Dukhtaran-E-Millat (DeM), and her associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, did not bear an allegiance to the Constitution of India and actively worked for Kashmir’s secession, a Delhi court said while convicting the trio for waging war against the country and other charges under UAPA and IPC on Wednesday.In his detailed order, which was made available Thursday, NIA court judge Chander Jit Singh noted that the accused were “vociferously” seeking Kashmir’s separation from India on religious grounds, striking at the idea of national integrity. Their consistent calls for secession of an integral part of India amounted to a complete “rejection of India’s constitutional framework”, he added.The court cited instances where Andrabi sought support from Pak-based platforms and referred to a 2018 interview in which she stated that “gun is a must” for a referendum. The court said such statements went beyond political dissent and reflected endorsement of violent means to achieve secession.On defence’s claim of right to self-determination based on UN resolutions, court flagged a clear contradiction. It noted that while the accused claimed such a right, they simultaneously asserted that Kashmir was part of Pakistan and under “illegal occupation” by India.
