If there are any thieves in J&K, it is NC leadership: Mehbooba

‘Haji Yousuf’s death residence exposes the muck of corruption in the Abdullah family at Omar ’
Jammu: Demanding an apology from National Conference patron, Dr Farooq Abdullah for his ‘all Kashmiris are thieves’ remarks, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly and said his comments had insulted the people of the state.
The statement issued to KNS said that while displaying copies of prominent newspapers including Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Times, the party legislators came into the well of the house and demanded an apology from Dr Abdullah for his anti-Kashmir remark in New Delhi. Unsatisfied with the government response, the legislators latter staged a walkout from the house.
Speaking to media persons outside the assembly, the party president, Mehbooba Mufti said this is not the first that the NC leadership has defamed the people, who have been voting them to power, but they have always been on the forefront in doing their character assassination both in and outside the state. She said, “They call people, who raise voice against them, as anti-nationals and they have demonised our youth as drug addicts, LeT agents and criminals.” She said to remain in the power the NC has been exploiting people on hallow promises from last more than 60 years now. “Be it in 1975 or 1996, the NC has always betrayed people and compromised their interests, self-respect for the sake of power,” Mehbooba said adding they have been treating people as their slaves and it is their deliberate strategy to defame the image of Kashmiris to remain relevant in certain quarters in New Delhi.
She said instead of decreasing the existing power deficit in the state, the NC leadership has sold the most feasible power projects to NHPC only for the chair. She said ‘Meter Todo; Heater Lago’ (break meters, use heaters) slogan, by NC during 2008, was an assault on the system, which PDP had reformed during its brief stint in the government. She said they took off this promise and instead gave consumers a shock by raising the electricity tariff five fold in the last five years. “Instead of their promised honey & milk, what they gave the people of Kashmir pellet guns, chilli grenades, PSAs, arrests, disabilities and police cases,” said Mehbooba and added the NC promoted darkness with load shedding touching new lowest level of power supply. They handed over the administration to middle man, agents and bringing development process to a halt. She said while the ministers and ruling party politicians became richer, the state became poorer and people, from whom NC took votes on the promise of good governance, where subjected to unending curfews, tear gassing, lathi charge, if they ever raised their voices against the government atrocities.
Mehbooba said there is serious corruption charges pending against Dr Farooq himself, and if there are any thieves in the state it is the NC leadership, who have been thriving at the cost of people of Jammu & Kashmir. She said there are proved corruption charges against them and they can’t generalize this accusation with every citizen of the state. “Dr Farooq is involved in siphoning off millions of rupees meant for the promotion of cricket in the state and even now police have proved his involvement in the case,” she said adding the mysterious death of Haji Yousuf at the chief minister, Omar Abdullah’s residence expose the muck of corruption in the Abdullah family.
Referring to the BOPEE Scam, the PDP president said the corrupt Mushatq Peer would not had been doing the frauds without the patronage of his political bosses, who have been giving him extension after extension, besides serious corruption charges pending against him. She said Omar Abdullah was unable to take any action against his battery of ministers who have been found involved in serious malpractices be it Drug Scam, PHE Scam, Land grab scam, recruitment frauds etc. , as he fears reprisal from them given his involvement in host of other serious frauds.
She said besides having huge potential in new and renewable energy in J&K, if the state has not been able to perform well in tapping the potential, it is all because of the inefficiency of Dr Farooq, as he has not been able to perform well. She said it is shameful on part of the part of the NC patriarch to defame the entire population without looking at his performance, as J&K features nowhere in the programme with zero MW capacity project installed anywhere in the state. She said the abysmal performance of Dr Farooq should not come any shocker to the people of the state, as the wounds inflicted by him as the chief minister of J&K, for many occasions in the past, are still fresh and people can’t forget his cruelty. She said if it is in a public view that Dr Abdullah has made such a disgusting comment, what will would be the NC top leadership actually feeling about the people, whom they claim representing and what would they be speaking in private with the people, who see Kashmiris through a stereotype.
Raising the issue in the Legislative Council, the party Chief Spokesperson, Naeem Akhtar said castigated Dr Farooq for his insensitive and disgusting remark. “It is very insulting on part of Mr Abdullah to defame the entire population,” he said adding we are proud to be Kashmiris, but we are not thieves. (KNS)