Jammu, August 12 (Scoop News) – President of PDP Mehbooba Mufti today said that democracy was never allowed to flourish in Jammu and Kashmir because there was no alternative to the National Conference.
Mehbooba was addressing an impressive function at Dushera Ground, Jammu which was organised in connections with the 13th foundation day of party said that elections in the state were brazenly rigged and people were never allowed to elect government of their own choice. She especially mentioned that infamous 1987 rigged assembly elections had badly shattered peoples’ faith in the democracy and it ultimately led to bloodshed and destruction in the State. “Ever sections of the society bore brunt of the bloodshed and destruction which was result of the rigging in 1987 assembly elections’, she said and added that formation of PDP was turning point in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir because this party has challenged hegemony of National Conference.
Pointing towards rampant corruption in the State, she said that ever sections of society were bearing brunt of the wrong policies of the present regime but youth were the worst victims. She pointed out that backdoor appointments have been going on and the deserving educated unemployed youth were not getting employment. “Government has no funds to give wages to the poor daily wagers but a large number of senior officers, who have been getting whopping salaries, have been given extension without any reason”, she said and regretted that deserving youth were facing hardship due to wrong policies of the present regime.
Calling upon the people to compare 36 years long mis-governance of successive National Conference regimes with 36 months short tenure of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, she said that PDP-Congress had mitigated woes of the common masses through its pro-people policies. She mentioned during that period supply of basic amenities like power, water and ration were streamlined and sincere steps were taken to solve day today problems of the people. She said that during PDP led regime neither Baglihar nor Dulhasti hydroelectric projects were commissioned but uninterrupted power was supplied to the people.
She reminded the gathering that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as Chief Minister of the State, has set a standard of governance. “PDP through its agenda wants to restore dignity and honour of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and to make Jammu and Kashmir economically self-reliant”, she said, adding, “in our Self-Rule proposal we demand rights on our water resources so that we can utilize these resources properly to make our State economically self-reliant”.
Demanding opening of all traditional routes to make Jammu and Kashmir as gateway of Central Asia, he said that before 1947 Jammu and Kashmir was connected through different routes, with Central and South Asia but all the routes were closed after partition. She further said that self-rule aimed at opening all traditional routes to make Jammu and Kashmir as a business and trade centre of this region.