Srinagar: Accusing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of seeking refuge in the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to secure his political future in Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said National Conference (NC) can align even with the devil to keep her party out of the power in the state.
Taking a jibe at Omar, Mehbooba said, "How can he do justice with the people of Beerwa or Sonawar as mere MLA when he couldn't do anything for Ganderbal as the Chief Minister of the state for 6 years."
"Omar is now so much panicked by the prospects of a PDP government taking shape in Jammu and Kashmir that he is once again seeking refuge in the lap of BJP by offering an alliance with them in any post-poll arrangement," Mehbooba said while addressing election rallies in central Kashmir district of Budgam, including Beerwah from where Omar is seeking mandate after deciding not to seek re-election from Ganderbal.
She said Omar-led government failed on every front and that's why the people's anger against him has exploded through ballot and the first phase of elections has established that people have realized the power of vote and are using it to bring in a change.
"But Omar in his desperation to somehow survive politically doesn't hesitate in talking of an alliance with BJP even though he had during the parliament polls stated that he would leave the country if Modi was elected as PM and Dr Farooq had said anyone voting for Modi should be pushed into the sea," she said.
Omar assumed power in 2008 on the promise of performance and development and made countless promises on every account, the PDP president said, adding, "He was particularly lavish when he addressed campaign meetings in 2008 in Ganderbal and promised sky to the people there."
Reminding Omar of the promises made by him during electioneering to 2008 Assembly polls, she said the people want to know where is the much-parroted Truth and Reconciliation Commission on human rights violations, where have the one lakh jobs that were to be given in the first three months of the new government gone, what happened to the promise of one job to each family, where is the stipend for the educated unemployed youth, what happened to the commitment of bringing down educational qualification for recruitment of police constables to middle pass and last but not least there is also no word from Omar about removing the electricity meters, slashing the power tariff, making electricity available round-the-clock and subsidizing the LPG and rations.
Mehbooba said on the contrary during NC-Congress regime innocent killings became order of the day, power position deteriorated to the worst levels ever, drinking water became scarce, treasuries are running dry, pensioners are being denied pension, contractors are crying for payments, daily-wagers and consolidated workers plead for their wages, people are being kept hostage on roads for hours together due to horrific traffic jams and so on and so forth.
"I challenge Omar Abdullah to show one single project anywhere in the State which he can claim was pioneered and accomplished by his Government during the past more than 6 years," she said.
Mehbooba said when the present anarchic government is voted out of power towards the end of this year, if anything, it would be remembered as the darkest era in J&K for facilitating hundreds of innocent killings, letting loose a reign of repression on youth, facilitating wanton arrests, perpetuating fear and sense of insecurity, promoting socio-economic instability, frightening increase in crime rate, menacing drug abuse, deaths in road rage, vanishing rule of law, rampant corruption, scams, institutional degradation, misgovernance, dilapidated roads, power shortage, drinking water scarcity, unemployment, maladministration, spurious medicines, frustrating traffic snarls and countless other anti-people measures.
"No wonder after having destroyed not just Ganderbal, but the entire State, Omar had to run away in pursuit of a safe place," she said, adding that either Omar is considering himself too clever or is treating the people of Beerwa or Sonawar as too naïve to endorse a failed politician like him and waste their vote.
Mehbooba said the PDP had started an imaginative development program for Beerwa area since 2002 but it was disrupted by the change of government in 2009.
She said the area is endowed with a rare mixture of natural beauty, farming potential and exquisite talent in handicrafts, "We will harness all these potentialities and energies to generate remunerative and dignified jobs for the youth of the area," she said, adding that the Kani Shawls made in many villages of Beerwa area is a source of identity for entire Kashmir.
"PDP government will establish craft villages for these artisans and these will be linked with the tourism circuit and modern facilities will be provided to the artisans so that they can produce more and earn better wages," she said, adding that Tosa Maidan will be developed as a cherished tourist resort to generate employment and create wealth for the locals.
(Abid Soffi is Managing Editor, 'Kashmir Pioneer'. He lives in Srinagar.)
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