Riyaz Bhat
Srinagar, Mar 03 : Accusing the ruling dispensation of extending a tacit support to Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) agenda in Jammu and Kashmir, president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti on Monday alleged that the Omar Abdullah led government is maintaining a “stoic silence over the core issues” confronting the erstwhile state.
Mehbooba, while reacting to the address of LG Manoj Sinha in J&K Assembly on the commencement of Budget session, said, “The speech was no different than that being delivered on Republic Day or Independence Day occasions.”
Mehbooba, according to the news agency said, “On August 5, 2019 Articles 370 and 35A were unconstitutionally abrogated, and then our Home Minister delivered a speech in the Parliament that statehood to J&K will be restored. After that, whenever LG (Lieutenant Governor) delivered any speech, whether it was on January 26 or any other function, or even today’s speech of our current LG, if you look at them, I feel there is no difference between those speeches and this address.”
She added: “From day one, when this action was taken every minister who has come from outside, keeps repeating the same thing—that statehood will be restored. But my point is that the issues and difficulties faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir are not limited to statehood alone. Unfortunately, it seems that the BJP’s agenda and policy regarding Jammu and Kashmir are being carried forward. What we used to call illegal and unconstitutional, the National Conference, in a way, is legitimizing the actions taken by the BJP over the years. There is no discussion anywhere about addressing the disempowerment and the position we have been in since 2019.”
She said, “Unfortunately, the Chief Minister says he does not want to become another Arvind Kejriwal. No one is not asking you to become Kejriwal, but for God’s sake, stand up for the dignity and rights of your people. It is fine to become a Chief Minister or a Minister, but what is the purpose? Why did people vote for you?”
