Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 20: Accusing the Congress led UPA at the Centre for “failing to make any progress’’ on the political dimension of Jammu and Kashmir over the last 10 years, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today termed the forthcoming Parliamentary elections as an opportunity for the people to elect those leaders, who are sincere and able to push forward issues of people and motivate the Parliament to get the State out of present muddle.
Addressing senior party leaders, legislators and workers of Srinagar Parliamentary constituency at his official Gupkar residence here, Mufti said the State is at the threshold of a change and the Parliamentary polls will be a turning point to broaden the discourse about Kashmir issue at the national level as the performance of the present MPs from the State have been disastrous to the extent as they have miserably failed to raise the issue in the Parliament.
He said the fight of PDP is not with any individual or any ideology, but the party has its own agenda for the State and it will fight for the rights and political empowerment of the people, who are still being looked upon with suspicion— both in and outside the State.
“We have been choosing MPs but instead of working for the people and interests of the State in real sense, they choose to remain silent on crucial matters pertaining to J&K,’’ the PDP leader said.
Mufti said this vote is not just to change the Government or elect MPs but there is a growing need to build the prevailing trust deficit between the people of J&K and rest of the country and between India & Pakistan and PDP will work to make any future Government at the Centre to endorse its agenda of political resolution and empowerment of people.
Coming down heavily on the UPA government at the Centre of which National Conference is part, Mufti questioned what kind of Government it is which has not been able to address the J&K issue over the last 10 years and instead derailed the entire reconciliation process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He said the hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru was the most “unfortunate thing’’ that could have happen in any democratic country and the Congress and NC went ahead with this without realising the sensitivities of the people of Kashmir.
Mr Sayeed said a new beginning was made with the opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road but the entire atmosphere of trust now in a reverse gear and could be threatened unless retrieved soon, as both NC led Government in the State and UPA at the Centre did not consolidate on the gains made by the PDP during its brief tenure in the Government.
He said there is an atmosphere of change both at the national as well as local level and the PDP will determinedly make any future political formation at the Centre to work on both internal and external dimensions of Kashmir issue.
Mufti said PDP is a disciplined party which has an independent agenda, an objective not only to bridge gaps between the different parts of the State, but between New Delhi and Kashmir and India and Pakistan, which the NC could not do over the last 60 years, besides taking votes from people. Mufti said Srinagar has suffered immensely over the last five years due to the insensitivity of the ruling coalition and it being the intellectual and political nerve centre of the State cannot remain aloof from the urge for change that is sweeping the State.
He said active participation of Srinagar in the political process for change will add much desired cutting edge, credibility and prestige to it
Senior PDP leader and the party’s candidate for Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, Tariq Hameed Karra said the change is inevitable on the ground and there is no chance for people to cast their votes in favour right candidates who can represent their aspirations in the highest democratic institution of the country. He said the present Government has utterly failed on every front and instead of having resolved the problems of people it is insulting all of us as ‘Maha Chors’.
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