Jammu, Aug 12: Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed Sunday said that to stay in power, National Conference has not allowed the democracy to flourish in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 65 years.
 “After country got independence in 1947, political alternatives have grown up against Congress party across India but in our state, the plant of democracy was never given any chance to nurture,” Mufti said, while addressing a largely attended public meeting here to commemorate the party’s 13th foundation day.
 Reiterating that rigging of 1987 elections by NC regime was one of the main causes for eruption of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said the “blunders committed by this party were known to every one”.
 “People saw a hope in the form of democracy when Dr Farooq Abdullah came to power in 1996.
However, contrary to their aspirations, the situation turned worse with sense of insecurity, trust deficit and lack of governance ruling large across the state,” Mufti said, adding that under such circumstances he came up with the political alternative of PDP to address the sufferings and aspirations of general masses.
 Mufti said that it was for the first time in 2002 that free and fair elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir as a result of which a new government was formed. “We revoked POTA, disbanded Task Force and gave a sense of security to the people living in cities as well as in far flung areas that were always under the shadow of gun,” the former Chief Minister said.
 He said that the present dispensation has not even been able to address the basic issues of the general public. “We were facing the similar shortage of electricity when we were in power but we managed the things and never allowed the crises to take over in the state”, he said adding, “It is the same infrastructure and same administration but I don’t know what type of artificial crisis NC has created, where every institution is crumbling and where there is no accountability and transparency”, Mufti asked.
 Launching a scathing attack on NC-Congress coalition government for delay in holding Block Council and Local Bodies elections’, Mufti said, “Leave aside the issue of implementation of 73rd and 74th amendment, this government has so far failed to hold even elections of Block Council and local bodies after a gap of one and half year of holding of Panchayat elections”.
 “Can we ask deputy chief minister Tara Chand, why he has failed to hold elections of local bodies and corporation due to which Center has withheld grant of Rs 600 crore,” he lamented.
 Alleging NC led government’s failure on all fronts Mufti said that even the state government has failed to utilize Rs 1500 crores under Sarva Shiksha Abyiaan while the works under PMGSY, JNNURM and other centrally sponsored schemes were still lingering on.
 Dedicating the 13th foundation day of PDP to youth, Mufti said that the unemployment was the most important issue and only PDP has vision to solve it, if people vote it to power. He further advocated for peaceful resolution of Jammu and Kashmir under the ambit of Indian constitution and asserted that his aim was to change the destiny of people, not power.
 Speaking on the occasion, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti held the National Conference responsible for the present turmoil in the state saying that democracy was not allowed flourish with the sole objective of remaining in power.
 Seeking people's mandate, the PDP said it alone could provide a better alternative to the people by strengthening democratic institutions at the grass root levels.
 Charging the Omar Abdullah government with eroding democratic institutions, the PDP head said "civic bodies’ polls were scheduled to be held in February 2010 but the government has been delaying these as it is not interested in delegating powers."
 She said the PDP would focus on the youth and the party had become a teenager now after it entered the 13th year of its existence.
 Batting for making Jammu and Kashmir a gateway to the Central Asia, she said "we want Jammu and Kashmir to be made a free economic zone".
 “The National Conference has a history of betrayal and in the process it has not even spared Congress which was now in alliance in the government”, she said referring to 1977 when Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was installed as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir by Indira Gandhi. “The Congressmen were boycotted in Kashmir valley and were called drain bugs. People who agitated against misgovernance and corruption of NC regime, were persecuted,” she said.
 She further said that there was no comparison between 36 years of NC regime and 36 months of PDP regime but during PDP rule there was transparency, a check on corruption, accountability and no power crisis in the state.
 Advocating for opening of all the traditional trade routes to Pakistan and other countries, Mehbooba Mufti said that if Central government contemplating to construct a gas pipeline from Iran via Pakistan route, why not route from Kargil, Skardu would be started. “Why not all routes to Central Asia should be opened and J&K would be made a show window of country” she said.
 Spokesperson of PDP, Dr Samir Koul while drawing a parallel between miserable condition of Jammu city with Kabul said that 20 hours long power curtailment and shabby road conditions is all to narrate the pathetic condition of Jammu city.
 “Be aware and decide your fate yourself by taking decision patiently while voting next time,” he said while addressing the gathering.
 Making an appeal to Kashmiri Pandits community, Koul said that it was Mufti Muhammad Sayeed who took every step to ensure rehabilitation of the community and ensuring their return to Valley. “We should have ability to give relief to others and help the masses of Jammu who have always extended a helping hand towards us” he said, adding that the main aim of his party was to strengthen democracy.
 He called upon the masses to unite and strengthen PDP for bringing an end to trust deficit and lack of governance in state.
 All the PDP leaders also criticized the killing of Sikhs in America, killing of minorities in Assam, Mayanmar and other countries.
 Former MP Tirlok Singh Bajwa, Thakul Balbir Singh also spoke on the occasion.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 12 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 12 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST