Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, July 27: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today questioned the government’s performance since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.
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Addressing party workers at the party’s foundation day function at Sher-e-Kashmir Park here, Mufti said the government’s bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh had caused hardship for the people of both states.
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“What have they achieved in these five years? People of Ladakh are suffering. So are the people of Jammu. Jammu was once the economic hub but now they too are suffering, more so the people of Kashmir who are feeling suffocated,” she said.
She said what the government has achieved in the last five days is that it has turned a blind eye to the people of North Kashmir during the recently held Assembly elections.
“They voted for the right to self-determination. The people of north Kashmir did not look at you. Mufti sahab carved a middle path. He said whatever happens, it will happen from here,” she said.
She added: “The people of North Kashmir, who are considered mainstream, also voted in favour of self-determination. Is this an achievement? The leader of the PDP youth wing, who was arrested on terrorism charges, got 200,000 votes.”
The former chief minister said that ever since the abrogation of Article 370, the government has been using UAPA, PSA, ED, NIA, CBI, SIU and SIA against people.
She also spoke about Jamaat-e-Islami, which is said to be considering contesting the parliamentary elections, and said that when she was in power, she was asked to ban the organisation but she did not do so.
Mehbooba said she would be happy if Jamaat were to fight the elections. “Jamaat has fought elections before. I would be happy if they decide to fight elections again. We will fight together for our rights under a democratic set-up.”
Talking about what he had done during his time in power, Mufti said his government had cancelled FIRs against 12,000 youths. “Those who were earlier allies of the government have brought in POTA instead and set up a task force.”
“No prime minister has ever been able to enforce a ceasefire. I did it for a month. It had happened previously with Prime Minister Vajpayee but it was withdrawn within just 15 days after the then prime minister said he would not accept any ceasefire. He instead instructed the then director general to take them away.”
She said before the decision, which was taken on August 5, 2019, “they toppled the government, then they dissolved the PDP and then they moved for Article 370. Even before that, I had told people that nothing can be gained by casting stones.”
Mufti demanded reopening of roads opened to connect people and businesses and link Jammu and Kashmir with Central Asia. “These roads were closed on the pretext of supplying drugs but they will not be closed despite more drugs coming in through Gujarat ports,” he said.
