KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
National Conference on Friday asked the PDP to explain why its promise of getting Srinagar and Jammu designated as smart-cities had turned out to be another cruel joke with the people of the State.
NC Chief Spokesperson said both PDP and BJP had made this promise with prominence in their ‘Agenda of the Alliance’, which PDP had recently termed as a “sacred document”, while simultaneously maintaining that the sanctity of this “sacred document” had been violated in the last ten months under former Chief Minister Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
“It is for PDP and Mehbooba Mufti to explain why the promise of developing Srinagar and Jammu as smart cities has turned out to be yet another big, fat lie. Almost every single promise that PDP made in their ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ with the BJP has been demolished with contempt in the last ten months while PDP watched on without uttering a word of protest. The latest among those false promises to be exposed is the lie of developing Srinagar and Jammu and smart cities. Under an elaborate, covert understanding with New Delhi, the PDP-BJP Government chose not to pursue this demand – a feat that was achieved through administrative lethargy and inaction,” NC Chief Spokesperson said in a party statement.
The NC Chief Spokesperson also termed Mehbooba Mufti’s apparent posturing on the return of power projects as yet another ridiculous chapter in a theatrical performance that had robbed the people of the State of the right to have a representative government. “If PDP was so concerned about the return of power projects, why did the party vote against the resolution seeking the return of power projects that was moved in the Legislative Council by a National Conference Leader? Also why did PDP’s Cabinet Minister, including its former Finance Minister maintain shameless silence when the Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal categorically ruled out the return of power projects to the State during a high-level meeting in Kashmir in presence of the former Finance Minister and PDP Leader, Dr Haseeb Drabu? This presumption by the PDP that despite repeated sell-outs they can fool the people of the State again and again is contemptuous to the dignity of our people. PDP has proved itself to be a faithful Trojan Horse of the BJP for the last ten months and has sold out on all its promises in frequent fixed-matches with its alliance partners. This belated awakening of their conscience is ridiculous and won’t find any takers,” the NC Chief Spokesperson added.
Referring to newspaper column by noted historian, constitutional law expert and author A G Noorani, the NC Chief Spokesperson said Noorani had hit the nail on the head while pointing out that PDP leaders were wrong in presuming that the people of J&K didn’t have a soul to realize how PDP had sold-out for the temptation of power. “For ten whole months Mufti Sahab kept praising Narendra Modi and even went to the extent of saying that the RSS background of BJP leaders made them into better leaders and public representatives. A PDP Leader and Former Finance Minister had even agreed to be part of an RSS workshop in Nagpur and Mehbooba Mufti herself was always forthcoming in not only defending this unholy alliance but also helped in its formation. It was none other than Mehbooba Mufti who went to meet Amit Shah in Delhi and addressed a joint press conference to give the first formal indications of a PDP-BJP Alliance,” the NC Chief Spokesperson said.
“By now suddenly blaming her deceased father for poor political judgement and an inferred lack of courage to confront the BJP in the last ten months, Mehbooba Mufti is not only disrespecting the final political legacy of Late Mufti Sahab but also taking the patience of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for granted. The State and the institutions of democracy can’t wait in perpetuity for Mehbooba Mufti’s drama to end and Noorani has rightly pointed out at the J&K is in the midst of a constitutional crisis that we owe to the PDP,” the NC statement further stated.
The NC Chief Spokesperson asked the PDP to either come forward and form the Government with its alliance partner or stop sabotaging democracy in the State. “If you are so petrified by the very thought of fresh elections – why should the people of the State suffer? You forged an unholy alliance with the BJP and the RSS and now the political consequences are also yours to face. PDP can’t have the cake and eat it too. The State deserves a representative Government that carries forward the stalled development of the State and also safeguards its political and strategic interests. Any further delay could be catastrophic for the interests of Jammu and Kashmir,” the NC Chief Spokesperson said.
