Mir Farhat
Srinagar, Dec 11: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today said that Bharatiya Janata Party’s divide and rule policy will not work in the State and secular ethos of the place will be maintained.
Mufti in his address to a poll rally at Sheri Kashmir cricket stadium said that the State has maintained secular ethos and its 1000-year-old history is witness to it. “Our 1000 year-old history is witness that Muslims and Hindus have lived shoulder to shoulder. We have maintained secularism in the State. The policy of divide and rule will not work here,” he said.
The former Chief Minister said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has to be “inclusive” while ruling the country, saying that Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim-majority State. “Narendra Modi has to be inclusive. If Modi goes through the history of India and Jammu and Kashmir, he will find that J&K has not been taken along with the country in a right way. Those who are ruling the country have to be inclusive. Modi has to adopt an inclusive approach to win the hearts and minds of the people in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“If you want to win hearts and minds of people of Jammu and Kashmir, then stop double standards. You say one thing in Jammu and another thing in Kashmir. When you want Jammu and Kashmir to be part of India, then you should talk of unifying Kashmir with Jammu,” Mufti said while referring to BJP.
He appealed to separatists to “repose” their faith on him to help him sail through the eight seats of Srinagar. “I want to convey to everyone, to those who seek independence to repose their trust in me and help me in winning all the eight seats from Srinagar,” he said.
Mufti said people of Srinagar have rendered immense sacrifices for the movement. “Youth who are being labelled as stone pelters and drugs addicts saved the lives of people during the floods irrespective of religion where administration was nowhere visible on the ground.”
He said once voted to serve, PDP will withdraw FIRs against the youth in all false and fabricated cases. He also said the unnecessary restrictions on issuance of passport will be lifted.
Mufti asked people of Srinagar to strengthen the hands of the PDP. “We will defeat the forces that want to divide the State and resorting to divide and rule policy.”
Coming down heavily on NC-led Government, Mufti said that Omar Abdullah’s Government failed to save people during the floods.
The PDP patron said it was reported in 2010 that a massive flood would hit the State very soon. “No precautionary measures were taken nor any dredging of rivers carried out. The Government was in deep slumber till we lost everything,” he said.
Mufti accused the NC of “looting” the funds of the State exchequer. “The relief material meant for relief victims was distributed among the party workers of the ruling parties.” He said that NC had won these eight seats of Srinagar district through rigging in 2008.
The former Chief Minister said his Government will focus on ensuring financial security of the educated youth of Srinagar including women who have to otherwise face many social issues. “Revival of Jhelum beautification and Dal conservation programs and developing Old City as a heritage hub for tourism would be our other priority areas,” he said.
The PDP patron said that he will make Srinagar a “satellite” city and he has a dream of making Srinagar the most beautiful city of the entire world. He said the PDP would eradicate the unemployment and corruption across the State.
The former Chief Minister said the Srinagar has its own history and development of J&K was not possible without the development of Srinagar.
During the rally, all the eight candidates namely Syed Altaf Bukari (Amirakadal), Mohammad Ashraf Mir (Sonawar), Molvi Aabdid Ansari; (Zadibal), Asiya Naqash (Hazratbal), Noor Mohammad (Batamaloo), Dr Ali Mohammad (Iddgah) and Khursheed Aalam (Khanyar), Zaffar Meraj (Habbakadal) were present.
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