Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 6: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti today said that projection of public issues sound like ‘Laila Majnu Ki Kahani’ to the National Conference leadership and that explains why the State has become almost dysfunctional, disempowered and disturbed, whereas, the personal assets of the ruling elite have immeasurably grown in the last few decades.
Addressing a well attended public meeting at Chokibal in Kupwara constituency, she said Dr Farooq Abdulla’s recent insinuation that the people of the State take money for votes is an ultimate insult to their (people’s) discretion and integrity.
“It also is a proof of the fact, that National Conference leadership has turned everything into a commodity including the electoral process, where everything can be bought and sold in political bazaar that they have setup,” she added.
Mehbooba said what Dr Farooq Abdulah has arrogantly described as ‘Laila Majnu drama’, is, actually, the story of misery, disempowerment, corruption, mis-governance and atrocities inflicted on the people of the state by his party throughout its post-independence history and more so, during the last five years.
“He ( Dr Abullah) is rattled by the fact that a party (the PDP) has emerged within the constitutional system, that is generalizing the problems of people and the NC is feeling the heat of real electoral competition in which people, who have a clear choice to make,” she said.
The PDP president said NC has brought the State to a position where everything, from a state subject certificate to a transfer of a Government employee, is on sale.
Backdoor recruitments are made against huge amounts, forcing people to sell their small holdings to secure a job, whereas, the transparent system of recruitment that has been completely subverted.
Government contracts are sold or given to the ruling party agents and relatives of the politicians who are running a construction mafia across the state.
Mehbooba said work on the genuine projects of public utility is suspended citing the lack of funds as a reason. But the Government agents in the construction business conceive and execute projects in league with politicians for which funds are provided under the table.
Mehbooba said this Government has not spared even the selection process for entrance into the professional institutions and the recent BOPEE scandal should have been enough for the present rulers to retire from politics and hide themselves from public gaze.
Instead of doing that, the Chief Minister is claiming credit for the arrest of Mushtaq Peer and his gang. He (Mushtaq Peer) has been handpicked repeatedly, for various assignments by the Chief Minister himself.
“The scandal has been in the public domain since June 2012, and the police could proceed against the culprits only under the orders of the court, after they (Mushtaq Peer and company) enjoyed protection from political masters, for so long.
The PDP president said the state is ripe for a change and the NC leadership is clearly frustrated by the prospects of a rout. This, she said, is clear from the anti-Government sentiments prevailing in areas like Kupwara, which the NC has treated as an inalienable part of its ‘political empire’.
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