Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) chief Er Rashid on Thursday asked National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party to join hands to send a message to New Delhi that they’re not power hungry.
“For me both NC and PDP are the same and I don’t have any sympathy with them. I ask them to join hands to send a message to Delhi to prove that they want to serve people and are not power hungry,” Rashid said in a press conference in a local hotel here. “Till now these both parties have been representing Delhi in Kashmir while their job was to represent Kashmir in Delhi. Now, both the parties have felt the heat and deceit. Let them join hands to slap back New Delhi. Let them join hands to speak in one voice about the resolution of Kashmir. PDP remained stuck to chair against the wishes of people of Kashmir till Delhi dragged it out shamefully.”
Rashid said that everyone knows that NC and PDP have no ideological differences but it is their lust for power and ego that they oppose each other. “Despite having no sympathy with Mehbooba Mufti, Kashmiris have been feeling a sense of defeat the way BJP has dictated everything from 2014 till date,” he said adding that it is high time for NC and PDP to give up their egos and form a government. “They should dictate terms to New Delhi rather becoming its mouthpieces. Their joining hands with the purpose to restore dignity and honor of people of J&K will boost the morale of all Kashmiris and restore trust and win confidence of masses.”
He said that NC and PDP can nominate some prominent and credible personality – a senior civil society member, retired High Court Judge, renowned academician or any other person –and extend their support to him as Chief Minister of J&K. “Or else, if they want to be CM themselves, let them decide mutually through negotiations, draw or any other method to decide who would be CM among them,” he said.
Rashid said that formation of government by these two regional parties will give Kashmiris a genuine feeler that “NC and PDP are not doing it to get power but are sincere to resolve Kashmir dispute and make New Delhi understand that it cannot humiliate Kashmiri leaders from late Sheikh Sahab to Mehbooba Mufti, and at timing of its own choice.”
He said that he has sought appointment with both Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah to put forward the idea of their joining hands. “If New Delhi creates hurdles in NC and PDP joining hands, then all mainstream parties should say no to elections till New Delhi does not agree to a peaceful and honorable resolution of Kashmir dispute.”
Rashid said that the end of BJP-PDP coalition is victory of people’s resistance. “But the way BJP took everyone especially PDP by surprise is not less than a slap on the face of regional parties who have been making tall false claims of fighting for protecting the special status and other interests of state,” he said.
He said that NC is under impression that the damage to PDP has made NC eligible for public votes. “What Mehbooba Mufti was dreaming in 2014, now Omar Abdullah is expecting to get same for himself. Both have been getting power by default and not by virtue of their struggle,” he said. “NC and PDP both have played similar roles when in power.”