Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Oct 26: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah castigated the Central government for its failure to restore democracy in J&K saying the country takes pride in calling itself the mother of democracy on global stages but the same democracy fails to reach Jammu and Kashmir.
He said this while addressing one- day delegate session at Surankote in Poonch. The session was convened by senior party leader Javed Rana.
Decrying lack of democracy in J&K, Omar said the entire region is witnessing its worst phase in the absence of a democratic government. “It has been nearly a decade since the Assembly elections were held last time in 2014. People across J&K are united in their quest to restore democracy but those at the helm are not ready to reflect upon the gravity of the situation,” he said.
Calling out the anti-people policies of the incumbent bureaucratic setup, Omar lamented persecution of people in the name of hiked electricity bills, toll taxes, inflation, and ration curtailment. “PDD first brought in digital meters. It had not been even a few days since these digital meters were replaced by smart meters. The question arises why digital meters were installed in the first place? Who will account for the crores of rupees spent on them? The water tariff increases every year but there is a dire need for drinking water everywhere. Roads everywhere are in bad condition. The work of opening the road to Surankote has been going on for years and the government is not showing any seriousness in completing it. The only thing the government is proud of is to have opened wine shops in every corner of J&K,” he said.
Criticizing the government’s slack attitude on conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said that the people at `New Delhi’ say that India is the mother of democracy, but what happens to the mother’s love as soon as they come to Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the last time elections were held here in 2014, it has been 9 years since then. “I do not understand why Jammu and Kashmir is being deprived of elections. People have the right to choose their government. It is clear that those who walk with a big chest of BJP are scared from inside and are not ready to face the people and after the results of Kargil elections, this fear must have increased,” he said.
Senior leaders Ali Mohd Sagar, Mian Altaf, Ajay Sadhotra, Rattan Lal Gupta, Abdul Gani Malik, Aijaz Jan, Ch Naseem Liyaqat, Zeeshan Rana and Th Yashu Rachpal Singh were present on the occasion.
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