Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Mar 22: The president of Congress party, Ghulam Ahmad Mir and Tasaduq Hussain, brother of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today filed their nominations for by-polls in Anantnag Parliamentary constituency.
Both the candidates filed their nomination papers before Anantnag Deputy Commissioner Syed Abid Rashid Shah, who is the Returning Officer.
Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, accompanied by former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) working president Omar Abdullah and other NC and Congress leaders, filed his nomination papers.
Hussain was accompanied by senior PDP leader and MP Muzaffar Hussain Beig and Minister for Revenue and Rehabilitation Abdul Rehman Veeri among others.”The challenge for me would be to address the aspirations and the expectations of the people and the job will start after the elections are over,” he told reporters after filing his papers.
The Congress and NC held a joint rally at Dak Bungalow Anantnag soon after the filing of nomination papers by Mir.
Speaking on the occasion, former Union Minister and general secretary AICC Ambika Soni, MP, appealed people to strengthen the secular forces in the State, as the ruling dispensation, which is taking directives from RSS is supporting and strengthening the communal forces vitiating atmosphere of peace and harmony to serve their vested interests.
Soni also appealed people to get united in their resolve to fight against the menace of “PDP-RSS combination”, responsible for the deteriorating situation in the entire valley.
She described the ruling alliance as a threat to unity in the State and urged upon the people to defeat the PDP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, as that will be a real defeat to communal and fascist forces.
Addressing the rally, former Chief Minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah said that the alliance between NC and Congress was need of the hour to fight the forces who don’t want peace and brotherhood in the State.
Omar said that the decision to leave seats for each other in Srinagar and Anantnag was not easy for the parties as there were several candidates in the fray. “This decision was neither easy for Congress nor National Conference. There was no dearth of candidates in both parties. If we think that it was compulsion of Congress to leave Srinagar because they were not getting any candidate from there then this is wrong.
That because there was no better candidate then Tariq Karra for Congress for Srinagar constituency. And, similarly if I talk about Anantnag constituency, if I talk about National Conference…I can see at least eight candidates whom we could have given mandate from here for fighting polls”, he said.
Omar said that it is necessary for the two parities to send two candidates to Parliament so as to raise the voice about harsh treatment given to the people of the State. “My respected president, Dr Farooq has been giving message from past several days that we together have to be successful on Srinagar and Anantnag constituencies and raise voice in together in Centre and in largest institution (Parliament) and say that whatever is happening in J&K is completely wrong; that people of J&K are being treated harshly; they are being oppressed and they have got nothing except lies since past two-and-a-half years”, he said.
The NC leader said that PDP is in power because of the people of South Kashmir but in return they got bullets, PSA, pellet guns, destruction, tears, sadness, grief and nothing else. “On basis of lies, the elections were fought…they were given promises but we are compelled to say today that no promise has been fulfilled. Today if there is PDP-BJP Government that is because the south Kashmir districts, whether it be Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama…the voters of these places voted for the PDP…and placed them in a position of making government. But what prize they got in return? Bullets, PSA, pellet guns, destruction, tears, sadness, grief…nothing else”, he said.
Omar said that Mehbooba Mufti has failed to deliver on the Agenda of Alliance. “Today Mehbooba is saying only Narendra Modi can resolve the Kashmir issue. Then what they are doing here? Why did you lure us? Why are you showing Agenda of Alliance paper everyday in Assembly? Please for God’s sake tell us which part of AoA have you completed, but she cannot say even single thing. Except death and destruction, what have you given to this State in these two-and-a-half years? What development and what benefits you gave?”, he said.
“I along my colleagues, GA Mir and others went to meet Narendra Modi, who you said can resolve Kashmir issue, and we told him to keep aside big issues, please start talks and ban pellet guns which are snatching vision of our youths but since then no talks were started nor pellet guns were banned…I was surprised to read about around 11000 pellet guns being sent to Kashmir for this year. Is this their healing touch and justice?”, the NC leader asked.
Omar said that if there are free and fair elections then PDP candidates will lose their deposits. “Only yesterday, a young leader of PDP said that PDP has shaken hands with such party which knows how to win elections…? Does this mean you have desired to rob (chori) in beginning only? (I believe) if you won’t take support of (poll) boycott; if you won’t hid behind AFSPA; if you won’t poll votes from policemen; then my heart says that if elections are held fairly here, they are held in free and fair manner, then PDP candidate can’t even save their deposits”, he said.
Omar mocked at Mebooba Mufti and his brother and said he like his sister can’t be able to speak in Parliament. He said Tassaduq cannot seek justice and raise voice in the Parliament.
“Don’t send that candidate to Parliament who has already compromised with RSS, who has already given his vote to BJP, don’t send that candidate who has agenda of Yogi Adityinath (the CM of Uttar Pradesh)…”, Omar told the gathering.
Those who addressed the gathering included G A Mir, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Nasir Aslam Wani, Sakina Itoo, Usman Majeed, Dr. Shafi, Dr. Bashir Ahmad Veeri, Mohd Amin Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad Wani, Viqar Rasool, Ab.Majeed Larmi and others.
Meanwhile, on the day of scrutiny of nomination papers for Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, nominations of 9 candidates were found valid by Returning Officer for the Srinagar Parliamentary seat.
The nomination papers of Farooq Abdullah of J&K National Conference, Nazir Ahmad Khan of J&K People’s Democratic Party, Bikram Singh of J&K Liberal Democratic Party, Chetan Sharma of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha and Sajad Reshi of Rashtriya Samajwadi Party (Secular) have been found valid.
While the Independent candidates who filed nominations for Srinagar constituency and whose papers were found valid are Mirza sajad Hussain Beigh, Ghulam Hassan Dar, Farooq Ahmad Dar and Mehraj Khurshid Malik.
The nominations of two independent candidates Reyaz Ahmad Batana and Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Wani were found not in order as per the provisions of Representation of the People Act, 1951 and were rejected.
Meanwhile, four candidates today filed their nomination papers for By-elections to Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency.
Apart from Tasaduq Hussain Mufti and Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Sanjay Kumar Dhar of Samajwadi Party and Rakesh Koul, who is an independent candidate filed their papers.
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