For power, NC sacrifices interests of state: Mehbooba

KL Report

SRINAGAR

Peoples Democratic party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti Monday said the PDP during its brief tenure in the government delivered more than even the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) it had struck with its alliance partner Congress, a party statement said.

Addressing a party workers meet of Shopian district, she said, “The National Conference brought only disaster and sell-out of the state’s interests and resources through repeated tie-ups with Congress and BJP.”

Mehbooba who is PDP’s South Kashmir candidate for Lok Sabha elections said that during the last 65 years change in government had only once brought about a change in atmosphere on the ground and made a ‘difference in the lives of people’ and it was 2002.

“To the contrary NC only strengthened the instruments of repression to silence the opposition, rig elections and deny people their fundamental rights, whether they ruled the state independently or in coalition with BJP or Congress,” she said.

Mehbooba said PDP made history during its alliance with Congress by carrying along even the NDA government in Delhi to script a new agenda of peace and reconciliation in India and Pakistan.

“Kashmir, which used to determine the defense budget of two countries, suddenly set the agenda for peace with change in leadership in the state,” she said, adding that first important steps were taken in lifting the siege around J&K by opening the cross-LoC routes.

She said since power was not the only consideration for PDP, it in spite of having just 16 members in the assembly insisted on having a CMP with Congress.

Every point, she said, was debated and it took about a month and a brief spell of governor’s rule to finally come up with a programme that emphasized on improvement of relationship between India and Pakistan, resolution of Kashmir, revocation of POTA, disbanding of SOG and disciplining of rouge elements like Ikhwanis, apart from development agenda.

Mehbooba said even the Wazir Commission, the implementation of which was made part of CMP, was implemented with major amendments which resulted in establishment of four districts in Kashmir and Jammu each, including Shopian.

The PDP president said NC used its mandate to secure power at the state and central level and for that rest it made huge compromises at the cost of the interests of state and its people.

“It is time that NC tells the people what its CMP with BJP were, or what it is now when it is in alliance with Congress,” Mehbooba said.

She said people know that even NC had received a record 60 members in the assembly it joined NDA only to get a junior minister’s berth to Omar Abdullah and in the process sacrificed the autonomy resolution passed by the assembly. It gave up seven most feasible power projects to NHPC, banned Shahtoosh on the orders of Manika Gandhi, agreed to stop the construction of North –South corridor at Lakhanpor, banned opening and up gradation of new schools, brought POTA to the state and extended AFSPA to Jammu province as well.

Now that the NC is in alliance with Congress again without a CMP, Mehbooba said the only achievement it can boast of is securing minister’s salary and perks for Farooq Abdullah, even without a respectable portfolio. She said the people of the state in return got 120 killings in 2010, transfer of J&K Bank to RBI, Cricket Scam, Drug Scam, BOPEE Scam, Examination Scandal, PHE Scam, frauds in recruitments, Pellet Guns, Chili Grenades, Pepper Guns, PSAs, arrests etc.

Mehbooba said Shopian set a new bench mark in resistance by refusing to accept the government version on the inhuman treatment to Asiya and Neelofar.

She said the valiant fight put up by the people of the area have become a new reference point in our fight for upholding human rights and women’s dignity.

She said the coalition government’s wrath continues to be directed to this area as its forces killed four innocent youth to make it possible for chief minister and his elite company to enjoy western music on the lawns of Shalimar Garden.

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