Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Wednesday asserted that the ensuing elections are significant since it provides the people of the state an opportunity to reveal how passionately they feel about their identity, saying that people of the state won’t allow any to fiddle with Art370, Art 35-A.
Addressing two separate public meets at Kund, Waltangoo in south Kashmir party’s Candidate for Anantnag constituency Retired Justice Hasnain Masoodi said that the threats of BJP-RSS to abrogate Art 370, Art 35A will meet failure as the people of the state will not allow them to succeed in their nefarious designs. “Today the state is facing onslaught on its special status from all sides, however, all the machinations of the forces as are inimical to our status will fall flat if the people of our state shoe resoluteness in protecting the identity and integrity of our state. This time people across the state have taken it upon themselves to trounce the efforts as are hell-bent to destroy the special constitutional status of the state,” he said.
While highlighting the importance of Art 370, Art 35 A, Hassnain said, “it is needless to say how important Art 370, Art 35-A for the state and its people. Today the people of our state are masters of their own land. They work on their land and derive their sustenance from it. God forbid, if these articles are done away with, the consequences that will follow shall be beyond our comprehension. The people of the state will stop to cleave to a respectable denomination which Sher- e- Kashmir bestowed upon them through famous land to tiller reforms and other people-friendly measures. Our kids would not be able to derive various scholarships from the government. The youth of our state will cease to be the sole beneficiary of jobs in government sector. Keeping in mind their far-reaching consequences the people have to come out in large numbers and support NC in its efforts to counter the nefarious designs of BJP-RSS and its cronies in the state.”
While censuring PDP and Mufti’s on deceiving people on the promises it made while canvassing for elections in 2014, he said, “They were not able to keep any of their promises. People didn’t see any jobs. The promise of lessening the footprint of security forces also turned out to be a sham. On the contrary, she shamelessly presided over a plethora of miseries that people of Kashmir especially the people of south Kashmir had to go through,” adding, she took votes from you on the pretext of keeping out but she eventually clubbed with them. The much-touted AOA also turned out to be a damp squib,”
He said that the Promises made by Mufti’s and PDP on the protection of our special status fell flat. “They were the one who implemented SARFESI, NFSA, and GST in the state. They were the one who brought NIA to state. They failed to deliver on every promise they made in the run-up for elections in 2014. We didn’t saw them repeal AFSPA; on the contrary, they slashed PSA on thousands of our youngsters, most of which are still languishing in jails. She failed miserably on every matrix; she failed to protect the state’s status, she failed to provide jobs and above all, she pushed the state into chaos and conflict. It was south Kashmir that bore the brunt of her imprudent policies. They are the ones who provided platform to BJP-RSS in the state,”
Hassnain while censuring Mehbooba Mufti forgiving platform to the BJP-RSS said, “Today we see her shedding tears on the miseries. People would have appreciated if she would have shed her tears when scores of our youth were devoured upon in her stint as chief minister. The tears we see in her eyes are not out of remorse neither, on the contrary, these tears are political tears, and she is craftily shedding to gain the lost ground. However, people have made it a point of not falling prey to her shenanigans and slyness. People remember how she had bolted her mouth in 2016. We didn’t see her raise qualms over the problems faced by people when she was enjoying power with the BJP, her tears emerged only after when BJP withdrew the support.”
Ridiculing at the PDP’s undertaking of protecting Art 370, Art 35 A, Hassain said, “Today we see Mehbooba pledging to protect the state’s special status given the fact that she was the one who did much damage to it during her stint as chief minister. We saw NFSA, SARFESI and GST being implemented in the state in her tenure. Today our people are hankering for basic edibles including sugar, who is responsible for it? Every commodity has become dearer; every commodity is subject to heavy taxations, which is responsible for it? Who is responsible for breaking the back of small and marginal artisans, hoteliers, and other traders? We didn’t? It was she who took many cataclysmic decisions when she was in power,”
“Every single sector of our state is ailing today be it tourism, horticulture and handicrafts. People still remember how she mocked the miseries of families who lost their kids in 2016 with her ‘milk and toffee’ comments. It was she who had barefacedly said that the guns of security persons are not mere display but action,”
He further said that the party has a inclusive agenda that once in power, the new government under the vanguard of Omar Sahib, the party will work for all sections of the state irrespective of their caste, creed. “I also urge the government to increase the quota for other social castes in government jobs. We have a considerable percentage of OSC in our state, which live in abject poverty. Our party will ensure that tribals of our state are able to live a dignified life and derive equitable share from the state’s resources; meanwhile we will take care of other downtrodden segments of our society.”
Meanwhile, district president Kulgam, Ex-MLA Abdul Majeed Bhat Larmi, Dr Muhammad Shafi, party’s minority cell coordinator and prominent Khalsa Leader Sardar Janak Singh Sodhi, Abdul Rahman Tantray, Rafiq Ahmad Khan, Pirzada Feroz Ahmad Shah also addressed the public and sought support for party’s parliamentary candidate Hassnaian Masoodi.
