Mehbooba Mufti says Almighty will help PDP like Iran, Omar Abdullah lacks courage to speak
While addressing a party meeting in his hometown Anantnag in south Kashmir, Mufti said that unlike the current National Conference government led by Omar Abdullah, it is pro-people and has taken several steps to heal and heal the wounds of the people.
“During my tenure (as CM between 2016 and 2018) people carried axes, pelted stones, burnt police stations, targeted army camps and damaged bridges. You remember the slashed and burnt apple orchard in Bamdoora village,” Mufti said, adding, “No doubt there were bullets and pellets in all this, but I was extremely stingy in slapping PSAs.”
The head of the People’s Democratic Party said that if he had slapped the PSAs, “God forbid, thousands of young people would be in trouble right now.” He also stated that he canceled 12,000 FIRs filed against youths.
“But the current government slapped PSA on six young people who were protesting against the allegation of sexually harassing a young girl. I am not in favor of stone pelting or vandalism, but when an FIR is registered against a young person, his life ends there. He cannot get a passport, nor can he get a job,” said Mufti, adding, “What will they do now? Their lives are ruined and they will be acquitted after 8-10 years, but what will they do?” later.”
The PDP chief said youths are facing this trouble and if they express themselves, they are summoned to police stations.
“Today, people who were released from prisons long ago and are now parents and grandparents are summoned to police stations on the eve of January 26 (Republic Day), August 15 (Independence Day) or any other high-profile visit,” Mufti said. he said. He also said that “the authorities even intervened” in the Masjid Committees, which deal with the mosques and poor families in their regions. “No one wants to be on that committee now that the police have recorded all their personal and financial details,” Mufti said. Mufti said the Omar Abdullah-led NC government has failed to deliver on promises and has even blocked pro-poor bills like regulation of daily wagers and property rights for poor people living in pastures brought by the PDP in the J&K Assembly for decades. “Instead, they passed a bill for rich hoteliers who could fight for their rights in court. BJP and NC joined hands to pass this bill,” Mufti said.
He took a dig at the NC stating that they had ruled J&K for six decades and failed to bring any relief to the people. “When NC got majority in 1996, they introduced draconian laws like POTA, created Special Task force in police, supported groups like Brotherhood and employment was completely banned during their time,” Mufti said. He said NC cannot do anything in a state where it has a majority in the assembly and Articles 370 and 35 (A) are intact, what will they do now in the Union Territory?
“This is a matter of whether it is a state or a UT. It is about the person who leads. A CM must have the courage and strength to speak. Recently, when Ali Khamenei was martyred, Omar Abdullah did not dare to condemn it,” said Mufti, adding, “The Punjab parliament condemned the attacks against Iran, but our Muslim-majority parliament could not do this.”
Mufti called on party members to unite, recalling that PDP made sacrifices after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. “Our party made sacrifices and we also experienced the pain (of members’ abandonment). But Almighty Allah rewards sacrifices, as in Iran. Almighty Allah will also help us and we will return after these sacrifices.”
He appealed to the patriotic and honest youth to come forward and join the ranks of the party and be ready to fight in the upcoming Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections. “Anantnag is our hometown…you all should unite under the banner of PDP and tell people the difference between NC and PDP. Like in the 2002 elections, the entire south Kashmir should stand together so that other regions can do the same,” Mufti said.
