Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 10: Stones were pelted at the cavalcade of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, at a few places in Shopian district of South Kashmir today during his campaigning for PDP president and candidate for Anantnag Parliamentary constituency, Mehbooba Mufti.
All the shops and other business establishments were closed in Shopian this morning in protest against Mufti’s road show in the district. Last evening, a call for shutdown was made through the loudspeaker of a local mosque urging traders to close their shops and business establishments against Mufti’s road show.
Police sources said that the PDP had applied for the permission of rallies at around a dozen places for today in the district but the Deputy Commissioner, Shopian, who is also Election Officer, had issued permission for rallies at 5 places only. They said that the road shows are not allowed due to security reasons but the PDP went ahead with them.
Sources said that Mufti went ahead with rallies at around 11 places and also conducted road shows. They said that Mufti’s rallies at other places went on smoothly but when he was returning, stones were pelted at his cavalcade at Maminder, in the outskirts of Shopian town. The cavalcade was also attacked near Bon Bazar and DC’s office in the town.
However, a senior police officer said few stones were hurled at Mufti’s cavalcade at Maminder in which a couple of vehicles were damaged. “We immediately diverted the route of the cavalcade”, he added. The PDP patron was later escorted by police from the volatile areas of the town.
It may be mentioned here that 4 men were killed in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) firing at Gangren near Maminder in Shopian last year leading to strikes and protests in the district.
Angry protesters also attacked a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who was campaigning in the town. The window panes of few of his vehicles were damaged.
Earlier, while speaking at around a dozen of rallies in South Kashmir’s Shopian and Pulwama districts, Mufti said that a new dawn is breaking in the political landscape of State which will have positive affects to change the destiny of the people.
Seeking mandate for PDP candidate, Mufti said that the PDP leadership has no personal axe to grind like the NC which seeks votes only for ministerial berths for its leaders at the cost of State’s interests.
The PDP patron said that the PDP has turned out to be a reliable voice, a credible alternative before the people to challenge the hegemony of the NC in the State politics and the people look at it (PDP) with a hope to rewrite a new history for the State.
Referring to the hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru and the killing of 120 people in 2010 unrest, Mufti said it is the direct result of the wrong policies of the NC which has over the decades only exploited emotions of people and in return settled for power within the family.
Castigating NC of turning Kashmir into war zone by resorting to fraudulent tricks and doing historical blunders only to grab power, the PDP patron said the people know how NC sold their interests and compromised their self-respect over the last 60 years.
Mufti said the NC has always played a politics of treachery and they have never been serious to take care of the people.
The PDP patron said there is yearning of change on the ground and the people are fed-up, feel frustrated with the working of NC-Congress coalition in the State which has only brought disaster because of its sheer ineptness and lack of will to deliver.
Mufti said corruption has touched new heights and the both NC and Congress are responsible in institutionalizing the menace and destroying the institutions which were meant to bring about probity and transparency in the public life.
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