Sumbal: National Conference vice president and formed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday asserted that the ensuing Lok Sabha elections provide an opportunity to send credible and strong voices to parliament.
“Today I saw PM in a televised interview saying that there is problem in kashmir and the problem is confined to two and a half districts. Unfortunately people at the helm of affairs in centre find it difficult to speak truth. If the issue of our state is confined to only two and a half district, why is it then our national highway connecting nine districts is being closed for civilian traffic for two days?” Omar said addressing a gathering at Naidkhai Sonawari.
“If the problem is just confined to just two districts? Why was this imprudent step taken without giving a thought to the plight which the civilian go through? If the problem is confined to just two districts why doesn’t the central government revoke AFSPA then? Why is the central government conducting assembly elections in the state? What is stopping them? We need a strong voice that could represent us in parliament. We have seen parliamentarian as have said that Kashmiri youth are picking guns for a pair of kurta Pajama.”
He also attacked PDP and said: “How can Mehbooba be trusted with protecting state’s special status when she was the one who implemented GST in the state? We impressed upon her not to implement it. We raised our voice against the implantation of GST in state. We told her that the implementation of GST will infringe state’s liberty to waive off taxes including sales tax. We had cautioned them against the implementation of GST but they didn’t listen. They also implemented SARFAESI Act and NFSA law in our state. What was left of our autonomy was also surrendered by PDP for the lust of power.”
He said Mehbooba “gulped down the colossal insult of Mufti Syed made by PM Modi in a public gathering at Srinagar. When Mufti was undergoing treatment at Delhi, PM Modi didn’t visit him to inquire after his health. How can we trust her when she wasn’t able to fight for the respect of her father? How can we trust her, when she was the one who surrendered fiscal autonomy of our state before center?”
Omar said that the other day the noted religious personality of the state Mirwaiz Omar Farooq was questioned for nine hours.
“Can Mehbooba say when was the FIR lodged against him? Under whose chief minister ship was Mirwaiz convicted by NIA? Even today on the second day Mirwaiz is being questioned at NIA head quarters. Why didn’t she raise her voice then? On the contrary she made the state police available to NIA to intimidate Mirwaiz and other leaders in 2017, when she was serving as the CM of the state. Why didn’t she and her cabinet minister who is holding apple in his hand now raise qualms then? Why have they bolted their mouths then? It is they who plunged the state into chaos and uncertainty. It is they who are responsible for robbing the state of its fiscal autonomy; it is they who snatched the food from the plates of poor. It’s they who made every service dearer. Why should people believe them now?” he said.
During the election campaign of 2014, PDP had promised to deliver on different issues ranging from initiating dialogue with Pakistan and much more. “However what followed is history. People didn’t see any dialogue with Pakistan. People didn’t see any power project being obtained back, people didn’t see any of our unemployed youth getting jobs. On the contrary she unleashed plethora of miseries in the state she intimidated the religious personalities of our state. The FIR against Mirwaiz was also lodged in her stint as CM in 2017, when Mehbooba was the chief minister of our state. Why did she allow NIA to act against Mirwaiz then it was she who gave field day to NIA to arrest and file cases against them?
“Nonetheless if Akbar lone sahib is there he will represent us very efficiently in the top most house of the country? His assertions will represent the ground realities and won’t be divorced from facts? For that we all have to strengthen his handing by sending him to parliament with a strong winning margin,” he said.
Among other party senior leader, former speaker and party’s candidate for Baramulla parliamentary constituency Muhammad Akbar Lone also addressed the public gathering. Nasir Aslam Wani, Shammi Oberoi, Tanvir Sadiq were also present.
