Srinagar, June 14: Expressing concern at “political marginalization of Srinagar”, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Thursday accused the ruling National Conference (NC) of “building personal fortune” at the cost of this summer Capital adding that people should unite to fight them back.
 Addressing a gathering in the City, senior party leader and former deputy Chief Minister, Muzaffar Hussain Baig said: “Srinagar has to lead the revamping of political ethos in the state to make our systems transparent and accountable.”
 “Unless that happens the systemic change in the state will remain a pipe dream and people of the state will continue to suffer inequity and injustice,” he asserted.
 The meeting was presided over by the party president Mehbooba Mufti while others including  senior party leaders Abdul Rehman Veeri, Tariq Hameed Karra, Naeem Akhtar, District President Muhammad Ashraf Mir and Abdul Rouf were also present.
 Baig, as per a party handout said: “Though the entire state has suffered as a result of political instability and strife, Srinagar along with border areas has been in direct line of fire resulting in incalculable damage to its human resource and development prospects.”
 Taking a dig at ruling National Conference, he said: “Generations after generation in the state have been pushed to wall as a result of political problems and their exploitation by the NC.”
 He said the NC leaders “went back on whatever they said and promised to the people with the result that entire political class had lost credibility in the eyes of people.”
 This can be retrieved to some extent by making politicians accountable through the use of our democratic rights, the most important being the right to vote, he said.
 Baig said the people of Srinagar had a reason to “feel frustrated with the claims of politicians as that suffered repeated betrayal at the hands of NC.”
 “PDP,” he said, “wants to give a constructive direction to the opinion and energies of the people so that the dual objectives of restoration of basic problem and developmental challenges are achieved.”
 “In its brief  three years of government, Mufti government showed that the two things can go hand in hand if there is a political leadership that does not have its personal axe to grind or properties to build all across the world,” he added.
 Baig said he was hopeful that the people of Srinagar would respond to the self-rule agenda of the PDP like their counterparts in rest of the state.
 This, he said, would open up immense avenues of development and intellectual growth for the youth of the state who are second to none in their talent but are “unfortunately pushed into the depression by the wrong policies of NC.”
 “None of you should be destined to be a class IV employee or a casual labour. Given our resources any government with a vision and honesty of purpose can transform this state into a model place,” he said.
 Addressing the gathering PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the youth had been targets of wrath and victimization of successive NC governments.
 “If till 2002 they faced POTA, Task Force, SOG and unchecked atrocities the present government has again started a campaign to harass the youth. They are not able to get visas or security clearances for jobs in the government and thousands are facing police cases on flimsy charges,” she said.
 Mehbooba alleged that rampant corruption in the state has put at stake the future of our youth. “The Chief Minister’s office and his Ministers all have been exposed before the public,” she added.
 “With a few exceptions, all leaders of the coalition government have proved cases of corruption and misuse of power against them,” she said adding “Chief Minister has lost moral authority to question anybody on corruption.”
 “How can he take action against his ministers or MLAs or political workers after the Haji Yousuf case or the cricket Association scam?” she asked.
  “The ministers who did not own a two wheeler in 1996 and lived in small shared houses have now become the richest members of the society. Their sons travel by the most expensive cars while there is no limit to their properties within the state and the rest of the world.
 This money belongs to people who should have got roads electricity, water, medical and educational facilities but are instead facing police action for raising their voice against this loot,” Mehbooba continued.
 On  this occasion   senior party leader and former Minister Tariq Hameed Karra  said the PDP had brought in an agenda of hope and youth were the focus of its policies. He said NC had subverted the “process of recruitment and had once again reverted to its traditional backdoor and corrupt practices.”
 He said youth of the state are among the best and they deserve the best.
 “But, NC tried to restrict their ambitions and space for growth by holding the state as a personal property and dolling out favours like casual, seasonal and daily-waged menial jobs,” Karra said.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 14 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 14 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST