‘Happy to have support of Gujjars, Paharis’
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Apr 24: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that the violence which Kashmir has faced over the decades has only filled the graveyards and orphaned children.
Addressing a public rally in Kulgam, Mufti said people do not have to resort to violence because it achieves nothing.
“You do not have to pick up stones; you do not have to take up guns; that got us nothing. That only filled our graveyards; our children got orphaned; daughters got widowed,” she said, adding that those “sacrifices” won’t be allowed to go to waste.
Mufti said that the Government used to say that when Article 370 would be abrogated, J&K would progress; however, she noted, on the contrary, “today J&K has the highest employment rate; they are instead after our resources.”
“2019 was an earthquake aimed at erasing the identity of J&K; it still continues. Every day we get to see new orders. They are after our land, forests, and other resources,” Mufti added. Click here to watch video
She said that the Government wants to snatch the jobs that belong to the people of J&K as well as the land and other assets, and ensure that the people are made dependent.
“They want to ensure that outsiders are given jobs; take away the electricity which we are producing here; even the Lithium which was recently discovered; they will hand it over to someone; we pay 10 times the electricity charges, without electricity; the entire country gets enough power supply except for us.”
Mufti said that the Lok Sabha election is a struggle for safeguarding the identity of J&K, “which is in danger,” stressing that boycotting the polls has not resulted in anything.
She again highlighted the attitude and behavior of the National Conference (NC) for what she termed as a ‘united fight,’ noting that people can be upset with the PDP, which, she said, does not mean that her party “doesn’t exist.”
“If NC would have told me that their MPs showed better performance and you won’t be able to do that, let us handle it, I would have done that for the interest of J&K. People can be upset with PDP, but it is not that we do not exist,” she said.
The former Chief Minister said that when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was in power, “there was no one demanding electricity and other amenities, but they wanted their children to be safe, which we did during our tenure.”
She said that the FIRs of youth which were quashed during the PDP Government, “still pelted stones, but I consider them my children and didn’t want their career to be ruined. I took back the FIRs of 12000 youth.”
Mufti termed the situation, especially after 2019, “different,” emphasizing again that “no one is able to raise their voice to highlight the issues which are faced by people.”
She said that when the party was promising that laws like POTA would go, talks would be held regarding the Kashmir issue, “people used to mock us, but whatever we promised, happened and the life of commoners became easy.”
“The situation which J&K is facing will also go; it won’t sustain; you gave one vote for Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and there was a total change; this time as well, you have to vote so that we tell them that what you did in 2019 is not acceptable to the people of J&K.”
The PDP President said that she was happy to have the support and faith of the Gujjar and Pahari community. “People are standing with me and making it clear to me that PDP is alive and kicking.
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