Mehbooba asks people to unite against Govt move of providing land to outsiders

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti addressing party workers at Bijbehara in Anantnag on Friday. — Excelsior/Sajjad Dar
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti addressing party workers at Bijbehara in Anantnag on Friday. — Excelsior/Sajjad Dar

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 7: Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti today asked people of Jammu and Kashmir to join hands against the Government move to provide land of the place to outsiders, otherwise, there will be no land left for the local youth.
Speaking to reporters at the grave of her father at Bijbehara on his death anniversary, she said: “Kashmiris, Dogras, Bakerwalas and all others must get united at this stage and if they won’t unite now, local youth will find it difficult to step out as no land will be left for them,” she said, adding that there is need not to lose hope but to fight.
“The Government of India wants us to pick up guns and stones so that they can kill us but we will neither pick up stones nor guns but will continue our peaceful struggle till the Government returns all what was snatched from us along with interest,” she said.
She said that they will follow the footprints of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue which has already taken the toll of thousands of youth and left thousands of women widows and children orphans.
Meanwhile, hundreds of PDP workers had thronged to the Daro Shiko Bagh in Bijbehara to pay tribute to the founder of the party on his sixth death anniversary.
Mehbooba along with workers had first blocked Bijbehara-Pahalgam after they were allegedly not allowed to enter into the garden. However, later they were allowed to offer Fatehi Khawani at the grave of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
“On Mufti Sahab’s sixth death anniversary, I would like to thank everybody who paid rich tributes to him. We continue to believe & strive for his vision of a dignified & empowered J&K,” Mehbooba Mufti tweeted.
“Meanwhile J&K Police is hounding my party workers who dared to offer fatiha at his grave today. Outlawing & criminalising even a simple act of paying respect & tribute to one’s leader shows administration’s deep paranoia & intolerance. @JmuKmrPolice @manojsinha_ @HMOIndia,” she tweeted later.
Mehbooba posted a video on her timeline in which she is seen arguing with a police officer who allegedly misbehaved with an unidentified PDP leader.
Remembering Sayeed on his death anniversary, People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone said he was fortunate to get an opportunity to work under him.
“I personally learnt a lot from him. I pray his soul rests in eternal peace,” Lone said.
Meanwhile, in Jammu, the PDP leaders and workers today paid glowing tributes to its founder and former CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on his sixth death anniversary.
On the occasion, the PDP leaders resolved to strengthen the battle of resistance against onslaught on democratic, Constitutional and legal rights of Jammu and Kashmir residents by divisive and communal forces.
The party leaders assembled at party headquarters here and paid floral tributes to the deceased leader remembering his contributions and service to the erstwhile State.
Speaking on the occasion vice president Abdul Hamid Choudhary said that PDP workers have faced the worst over the last few years due to constant plot to weaken PDP across Jammu and Kashmir.
Senior leaders Amarinder Singh Reen, Abdul Rashid Malik, Firdous Tak, Rajinder Manhas, RK Pardesi, Satpaul Singh Charak, Ranveer Singh, Sukhvinder Singh, Nadeem Khan, Balbir Singh and Ashok Jogi also spoke on the occasion.