Srinagar, January 8 (Scoop News) – Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti today said that the NC led dispensation had on the one hand let loose a reign of repression and on the other failed in its basic duty of providing even a asemblance of governance which had sparked off unprecedented alienation and anger. Instead of addressing this situation the government had outsourced everything to its police and propaganda machinery she said adding the youth were the worst victims of this crisis.
She was addressing a joint meeting of party MLAs, senior leaders and district presidents of Kashmir here today. Leaders who attended the meeting included General Secretary J&K PDP,Mohd Dilawar Mir,State Secretary Mt.Javed Beigh,Coordination Secretary A.H. Kohsheen,Senior PDP Leaders, G.N.Lone Hanjura and Aga Mahmood ,District Presidents of Srinagar Mohd Ashraf Mir,Budgam Saif Uddin Bhat,Kupwara Abdul Haq Khan MLA, Pulwama Gh. Mohi Uddin Mir,Shopian Mohd Shafi Bandey,Bandipora Yasir Reshi, and Mohd Sartaj Madani MLA, Ab.Rahman Veeri MLA,Mr, Ab.Razak Zawoora MLA, Mushtaq Ahmad MLA, Mohd Rafi Mir MLA, Syed Bashir Ahmad MLA , Mohd Khalil Band MLA, Zahoor Ahmad Mir MLA and Ab.Rahim Rather Vice-President District Anantnag .
Emphasising the role of her party in playing an effective opposition Mehbooba said the ruling coalition had plunged the state into the worst crisis of its history.
She said that the National Conference has throughout its history exploited the sentiments of the people and enjoyed power without accountability.The party having no commitment to the issues facing people is now finding ithard to retain its character as an effective political party. She said theemergence of PDP as a strong and viable political force had unnerved the NC,which over the decades had enjoyed a free run of the political space in thestate. She said the PDP having established its credentials as a responsiblepolitical party and having sided with the people on all crucial occasions hasexposed NC and its political duplicity and administrative weaknesses. That’swhy, Mehbooba said, NC had resorted to the vilification of PDP and otherpolitical opponents during the recent unrest and tried to project the uprisingagainst it as a sponsored effort. But the PDP stood by its principles, its broadbased and positive political agenda and sided with the people and theirsentiments which had displeased many powerful quarters but the party stood likea solid rock and tried to highlight the people’s sentiments and problems inright spirit.
Mehbooba said the NC government had failed to provide basic amenities likeelectricity, rations and cooking gas and had been a partner in scarcity ofessentials, hoarding and profiteering. She said the government machinery washand in glove with the hoarders and profiteers which has resulted inunprecedented prise rise in the state.
In order to divert attention of the people from its massive failure andgovernance deficit the NC was engaged in old and outdated tricks of divertingpeople’s attention. As part of this strategy it had created a new hype about theill advised plan of the BJP to hoist flag in Lal Chowk. She said it seemed to bea joint venture between the two parties, with BJP trying to rake up emotive issues at the expense of Kashmir and NC using the occasion to present it like the sole issue facing Kashmir so that focus is shifted away from its grossfailures. “BJP has used such gimmicks in the past as well without any impact”,she said, pointing out that the two erstwhile coalition partners were now tryingto bail each other out.
Mehbooba said after the announcement of eight point programme by the centre, thePDP had given a three month grace period to the government to change its ways and apply balm to the people who had been victimised by the forces and scarredwith death and destruction. “We had hoped that the loss of 117 lives would havestirred the conscience of the ruling party and it would try to provide relief tothe affected families, hundreds of destitute and the injured and disabled butinstead it seemed to have become more arrogant and power drunk. It has refusedto learn from its blunders and converted the state into a virtual prison. Thepolitical leaders continued to languish in jail and the few who have beenreleased are placed under house arrest she said adding PSA is slapped againsthundreds of young boys and some of them teenage children. She said the courtorders are being flouted with impunity and leaders like the Bar president MianQayoom, G N Shaheen, Mohammad Shafi Reshi, Ashraf Sehrai, Peer Saifullah, G NSumjhi, general Moosa held in custody even though the High Court repeatedlyordered release of some of them.