Srinagar: Failing to garner huge gathering, Aam Admi Party (AAP)Wednesday started its door-to-door poll campaign in Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah’s bastion, Ganderbal ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.
AAP’s candidate for Srinagar constituency, Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, for the first time stepped in Omar’s bastion and started its poll campaign from the town where two senior National Conference leaders have revolted against the party recently.
Witnesses said there were around 150 people present during Bhat’s address.
“Later he (Bhat) started door to door campaign in the area from Behama and Dhudarhama,” witnesses told GNS.
Lashing out at ruling NC, Bhat said the party has failed to fulfill the promises of masses, and “they are again fooling people.” “In 2008, NC in its election manifesto made 10-15 promises. The first promise they made was that we will restore had promised to restore Autonomy to the state. They promised Autonomy in 1996 as well as in 2002 but never fulfilled it. In 2008, they promised the withdrawal of AFSPA but failed to repeal it. They promised Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the killings and human rights violations since 1990 including disappearances and fake encounters but emerged as a total failure in all its pledges,” Bhat, a former RTI and PDP activist, said, adding that NC patron Farooq Abdullah is again befooling people in the name of Autonomy.”
Castigating Omar Abdullah for sticking to his chair despite killing of youths in 2010, the AAP candidate said: “He (Omar) is hand in glove with Congress and its leaders just for chair. Today, he is accompanying Ghulam Nabi Azad while he files nomination papers. He also failed to get Kashmir’s power share from National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC). He himself accepted on the floor of Assembly that he failed,” Bhat added.
The former RTI-activist-turned politician said that AAP is not a political party but “a movement”. “We want more and more people especially youth to get connected with AAP so that the struggle against corruption and dynastic rule should be carried forward.” (GNS)