Jammu: Reacting sharply to the National Conference patron, Farooq Abdullah’s comments that ‘all Kashmiris are thieves’ (maha-chor) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti Sundaysaid after exploiting the entire population of the state for decades, now the NC leadership is shamelessly defaming and insulting them, which is highly condemnable.
According to a statement issued to KNS, while speaking during a public meeting at March in Jammu, Mehbooba said the NC leadership has always exploited the people; compromised their self-respect, dignity and looted the state for their cheap political interests. She said it was ironical that instead of labeling the entire population as ‘thieves’, Dr Abdullah didn’t look at himself to see where he stands in the public life. “Police has reportedly established his involvement in the high profile multi crore JKCA scam,” she said and added the NC has the distinction of creating richest politicians at the cost of the people whose resources they have brazenly grabbed.
She said it was shameful to see the NC patriarch questioning the character of an ordinary man, who has been immensely suffering all because of the deceitful & corrupt politics of NC, which they have been espousing in the state since last 60 years. She said had NC not betrayed the people at crucial junctures, the situation would have been totally different in the state and they have been treating people a vote bank to remain in power.
Mehbooba said for the power’s sake they dumped ‘Raishumari’ in 1975 and aligned with BJP in 1996 after securing votes in the name of autonomy even though the latter wanted the article 370 scrapped altogether. “In all through this, three generation of chief ministers from the family have sold more than dozen power projects to the NHPC only for the chair,” she said and added this is all where their politics ends. She said if it is in a public forum that Dr Abdullah makes such disgusting comments, what will would the NC top leadership actually feeling about the people they claim to be representing and what would they be speaking in private with the people, who see Kashmiris through a stereotype. Mehbooba said calling Kashmiris as ‘big thieves’ of course come as a shocker from Farooq, but the party had earlier branded our youth as stone pelters and demonized and victimized them drug addicts and enemy agents.
She said the entire state is presently facing huge shortage of power and instead of putting in efforts to meet out the existing deficit, Dr Abdullah’s performance as a minister for new and renewable energy in the centre government, has been abysmal and similar to his performance as chief minister of the state for many times in the past. She said it is all because of dismal performance of NC leaders that J&K has not benefited from the entire programme and not a single project has been taken up in the state.
Mehbooba said PDP has emerged as a viable platform to people of all the regions of J&K so that the collective interests of the state are pursued in a more democratic and creative fashion. She said the party stands for probity in the public life and it has brought an element of positivity into the state politics and provided a platform to sections of people to develop a united discourse for the overall development of J&K. “Our emphasis will be on connecting the people rather than trying to perpetuate the traditional methods of NC too create fissures in the society,” she said adding PDP likes to present a united voice of the state for the problems it is facing and seeking fair deal in our federal structure. She said it will be the PDP’s priority to revive the institutions of accountability, probity to make them impactful and vibrant. She said the successive NC governments have placed a ceiling on the aspirations of people by limiting the development discourse, but it will be the PDP’s priority to take development to next level.
Expressing satisfaction at the new atmosphere of probity and demands for accountability, Mehbooba said emergence of AAP could strengthen that spirit. She said even though the performance of Arvind Kejriwal in government was yet to be tested, PDP can genuinely claim having introduced institutionalized probity in government and politics way back in 2003 when it streamlined the much abused recruitment process in the state. “PDP introduced RTI Act a year before the GOI did it and established State Accountability Commission in 2005 even as the centre is trying to do so now after a nationwide campaign on the issue” said Mehbooba.
On the occasion, Yashpal Shrama, MLC, who is also PDP’s candidate for Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency; Ms Shanti Devi, Thakur Suram Singh Chib, Vikram Singh Langeh, Ashok Sharma, Suman Sharma, Soorat Singh, Chaudary Ramesh Lal, Seema Devi, Ram Lal, Vickey Sharma, Dilay Ram and Gopal Sharma and other were also present. (KNS)