KL Report
Srinagar
Protesting against ‘mis-governance’, ‘inefficiency’, price rise and ‘rampant corruption’ the opposition PDP Saturday held demonstrations across Kashmir division at all the district headquarters. The demonstrations highlighted the acute shortage of electricity, LPG, rations , and kerosene oil . According to a party spokesman the issues facing the youth were specially focused which included their victimization and police repression against them, inability of the government to create avenues of employment and backdoor appointments in government departments.
A major rally was taken out in Srinagar from the party head office which went through Residency Road till it was intercepted by the Police. The rally was lead by the party president Mehbooba Mufti who was accompanied by the senior leader Tariq Qarra, District President & MLC Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Abdul Hamid Kosheen,Yasir Reshi and others.
Hundreds of people participated in the rally and defied the police lathicharge to hold a dharna at Regal Chowk where Mehbooba Mufti addressed a large gathering of the people. In her address Mehbooba accused the National Conference lead government had pushed the state into its worst crises as a result of its in efficiency and rampant corruption. She said while the rulers were living of a luxurious life the common man has to wage a struggle for every day survival as basic amenities of life had been denied to people .
“On the one hand the present government which is celebrating its birthday bash today at huge government expense increased the power tariff four times in the last four years the supply of electricity is almost nil and the government has no achievements show as all its tall claims and promises made to people have proved phoney,” Mehbooba said. She added, “NC has been highlighting its achievements through press. Why has it failed to mention killing of Haji yousuf and the cricket scam as one of their big achievements.”
She said the people of the state have now understood the basic cause for darkness where the repeated compromises and sell-outs by the NC. She said while rest of the country lights homes and runs industries of the power generated in J&K the people of the state were left high and dry.
“Whether it is the sweltering of Jammu or the freezing cold of Kashmir and Ladakh there was no respite for the people as between Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah ten most feasible projects were handed over to NHPC.” Mehbooba said.
Referring to the cooking gas crisis Mehbooba said, “nowhere in the country would people have to stand in queues for a cooking gas cylinder but thanks to Omar Abdullah government people have to spent days together in pursuit of gas.” She accused that while the regular supply was not available to the consumers gas cylinders were channelled only through black markets and huge profits were shared with ruling politicians just to seek a secure political power for the Abdullah family.
Mehbooba called for the consorted efforts by the people of Jammu & Kashmir for the restoration of rights over these projects and said that the PDP would use all democratic channels to lead this fight against this injustice. She said the state would have been earning surplus revenue through its projects if the National Conference had not sold them out for the interests of one family.
Mehbooba said the government was trying to politicise tragedies caused by its own failures. Referring to the party’s extension of small medical help to the acid attack victim she said it was a small gesture but if the government wanted something real to be done it should have thought of hundreds of young men and women who were rendered disabled during 2010 excesses committed by it.
“Why don’t they extend medical help to the boy from Pulwama whose face is disfigured by a teargas explosion only recently, the fact of the matter is that this government is completely disconnected from the people and it does not know how and what to do”, she said.
Demonstrations were also held at Kupwara, Islamabad, Pulwama, Shopian, Budgam and Bandipora etc.
