Mufti asks Centre to follow Vajpayee’s footsteps, restore lasting peace in region

PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed addressing a party workers meeting at Bishnah on Tuesday.
PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed addressing a party workers meeting at Bishnah on Tuesday.

Excelsior Correspondent
BISHNAH, Nov 4: Patron of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said that present NDA Government headed by Narendra Modi has to follow peace and re-conciliatory policies pursued by the former Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee to restore sustainable and lasting peace in this region.
Addressing a meeting of party workers at Bishnah in connection with the campaign for party candidate F C Bhagat, Mufti said that it was result of the visionary policies of Atal Behari Vajpayee that internal and external peace was restored in this region. He reminded the gathering that during the tenure of PDP peace was restored in the State by winning hearts and minds of the people.
“Since its formation PDP has been advocating for the peaceful resolution of all problems”, he said and reminded the gathering during the tenure of PDP led regime in the State atmosphere was created to take some bold initiatives like opening of some points at Line of Control (LoC), end of repression, restoring dignity and honour of the people, release of political prisoners etc.
“It was all due to our sincere efforts that the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, during his historical speech at Srinagar, had extended hands of friendship towards Pakistan despite being the fact that tension was high on border at that time due to the attack on the Parliament”, he reminded, adding, “it was all due to the statesmanship of Vajpayee that peace was restored in this region”.
“Jammu and Kashmir is a very complicated issue so restoring  peace in this region is possible if the present NDA Government would follow the footsteps of Atal Behari Vajpayee”, he said, “When PDP-Congress Government was formed in the year 2002, BJP led NDA was ruling the country but we changed mindsets of BJP leaders also”.
Terming formation of PDP was a turning point in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said that PDP was formed to provide an alternative to the people of Jammu and Kashmir as the voters earlier had no choice but to vote for National Conference. “We challenged hegemony of the National Conference and provided alternative to the people”, he said and added that democracy was never allowed to flourish in J&K.
Mufti further said that agenda of the PDP was to change present corrupt and inefficient system which led to chaos and confusion in the State. “We want to establish a system of justice and equality and for this support of the people is must”, he said and claimed that PDP, with just 16 legislators in its kitty, had scripted a new chapter in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on the occasion,  Vikramaditya Singh sought support of the people to implement visionary agenda of PDP.
He further said that his party would present a comprehensive vision document for Jammu province so as to address issues exclusively related to this region. He especially mentioned that demand of crop insurance would be incorporated in the vision document.
General secretary of the PDP, Yash Pal Sharma, MLC, pointed towards rampant corruption in the State and said that during the last nearly six years Omar Abdullah led regime has done nothing to minimize miseries of the people. “Patronizing corruption, shielding those who are involved in scams, undermining autonomous institutions are the noticeable achievements of the present regime”, he said.