National Conference leader and its candidate for Anantnag parliamentary constituency, Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi Friday asserted that the ongoing elections were significant as these provided the people of the state an opportunity to reveal how passionately they felt about their identity.
He said, “People of the state won’t allow anyone to fiddlewith Article 370 and Article 35-A.”
Addressing two separate public meetings at Kund, Waltangooin south Kashmir, Justice Masoodi said, “The threats of the BJP-RSS to abrogateArticles 370 and 35A will meet failure, as the people of the state will notallow them succeed in their nefarious designs.
“Today the stateis facing onslaught on its specialstatus from all sides. However, all the machinations of the forces as areinimical to our status will fall flat if the people of our state showresoluteness in protecting the identity and integrity of our state. This timepeople across the state have taken it upon themselves to trounce the efforts ofthose who are hell bent to destroy the special constitutional status of thestate,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of Articles 370 and 35A, JusticeMasoodi said, “It is needless to say how important these articles are for thestate and its people.”
Censuring the PDP and Muftis for “deceiving” people by the”false” promises it made while canvassing for elections in 2014, the formerjustice said, “They were not able to keep any of their promises. People didn’tsee any jobs. The promise of reducing the footprint of security forces alsoturned out to be a sham. On the contrary Mehbooba Mufti shamelessly presidedover plethora of miseries that people of Kashmir especially the people of southKashmir had to go through.
“She took votes from people on the pretext of keeping outthe BJP, but she eventually clubbed with them. The much touted AoA also turnedout to be a damp squib.
“The promises made by Muftis and the PDP on the protectionof our special status fell flat. Instead they were the one who implementedSARFESI, NFSA, and GST in the state. They were the one who brought NIA to state. They failed to deliver onevery promise they made in the run up for elections in 2014.
“We didn’t see them repeal AFSPA. On the contrary theyslapped PSA on thousands of our youngsters. Mehbooba failed to protect state’sstatus; she failed to provide jobs and, above all, she pushed the state tochaos and conflict.
“It was south Kashmir that bore the brunt of her imprudentpolicies. Today we see her shedding tears over the miseries, but people wouldhave appreciated it, had she shed these tears when scores of our youth weredevoured upon during her stint as chief minister.
“People remember how she had bolted her mouth in 2016. Hertears emerged only after when BJP withdrew the support,” he said.
Ridiculing at the PDP’s “undertaking” to protect Articles370 and 35A, the former justice said, “Today we see Mehbooba pledging toprotect the state’s special status despite the fact that she was the one whodid much damage to it during her stint as chief minister.”
“Every single sector of our state is ailing today be ittourism, horticulture and handicrafts. People still remember how she mocked themiseries of families who lost their kids in 2016 with her ‘milk and toffee’ comments,”he said.