People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone Saturday said the “inability” of the mainstream parties to deliver was partly responsible for “low participation” of people in the election process.
“What have you done to the people? Why aren’t people comingout in hordes like in other states to join the polling queue? We are relativelynew in mainstream politics; you are a 70-year-old party,” Sajad apparentlyreferring to the NC, said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, we have become victims of the pessimism thatpeople share about mainstream politics. We do agree that there is a lot ofideological boycott but part of it is also against the inability of themainstreamers to deliver,” he said.
Criticising the NC for its “failure to deliver on its loftypromises”, Sajad said that people of Kashmir know that for generations theAbdullahs’ have been “lying to them”.
“Omar Abdullah you have to answer, what have you done tothese people? Why aren’t they coming out? Wherever we went there is a generalpessimism and negative attitude towards false promises. You promised them theelusive moon; short of ‘Azaadi’ you have promised them everything under thesky.
“And look at the numbers in Srinagar ParliamentaryConstituency you have been able to attract. This shows that people know you arelying. They know you always lie through your teeth, that for generations youhave been lying to them. Had they taken your promises seriously, put your handon your heart, wouldn’t there have been 80% polling”, he asked.
While expressing gratitude to the voters of Srinagar ParliamentConstituency “for reposing their faith in People’s Conference”, Sajad said thelack of queues outside polling stations “is a big question mark on the politicsof the mainstream parties”.
“We thank the people of Srinagar the way they came and votedagainst the traditional parties. We are confident of our victory and hope thatwe are able to deliver and be greeted with long queues of voters the next timewe go out to ask vote.
“Polling day in most of the parts was more about thesolitude of the polling staff and less about the excitement of the polls. Wewould have thought that a four-time Chief Minister in the fray would have meanthuge queues at the polling booths. The lack of huge queues is a question for usalso but the bigger question to the so called 70-year old party, so-calledupholder of the Kashmiri rights.”
He said the traditional parties may have become immune tolow turnouts “but we feel that low polling is a humiliation that we all face atthe hands of the majority that stays indoors.”
Sajad said that Omar Abdullah should stop “marketing thesentiments and aspirations of the people of Kashmir by making false promises.”
“The ‘finale moment’ will come one day, that is for sure.But don’t make a mockery of this issue. This issue is sacred to the people ofKashmir. It enjoys sanctity across all sections of people. This ‘finale moment’will hopefully come very soon despite you. Because you are the ones whofacilitated erosion steadily over the last five decades. You are the ones whostole the ‘finale moment’ in 1996 by accepting power without internal autonomyand blowing away that chance,” he said.
“Stop marketing this, this is not about marketing Mr. OmarAbdullah, this is not about the event management companies you have hired, thisis about a sentiment, this is about an aspiration. Please don’t sully theseaspirations. Stop, have mercy on the faith of these and on the faith of thepeople of Kashmir”, he added.