PDP misled people on Power Projects, AFSPA, Art 370: Omar Abdullah

• Says GoI created political vacuum by failing youth reach out
• ‘Farooq told Modi to talk to Pak, Hurriyat; stop arrests and pellet gun use’

Opposition National Conference Working President and former chief minister, Omar Abdullah Tuesday said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) misled people about the return of power projects, revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and safeguarding of Article 370.
“They misled people saying they would ensure the return of power projects to the State, revocation of AFSPA, and safeguarding of Article 370 and promised employment to the unemployed but failed,” Omar said addressing Youth National Conference (YNC) activists and office bearers at NC’s Nawai Subha headquarters in in Srinagar.
He said it was astonishing too see that while the government talks a lot about its Agenda of Alliance, the common minimum programme of the PDP and its alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it had made no progress in its implementation in three years.
Questioning PDP’s intent, the former CM quoted the Union Power Minister as saying clearly that GoI did not wish to return any power project to the State.
He said the confrontational approach and PDP-led government’s oppressive policy was choking Kashmiri youth and held Government of India (GoI) responsible for creating political vacuum by failing to reach out to them.
“Unfortunately New Delhi failed to reach out and build bridges of reconciliation and peace with our youth, creating political vacuum,” Omar said.
He said Kashmiri youth were picking guns and stones due to the due to the policies of the present government and oppression meted out to them.
“I have been in politics for past 20 years now but never did I see a student of Women’s College, M A Road, throwing stones and kicking police vehicles,” the former CM said. “It all happened due to the atrocities committed on the students in Government Degree College Pulwama.”
He said there was no place from north Kashmir to south Kashmir where government had not closed down schools as students were angry because their loved ones had been hit by pellets or meted with repression.
“If the government does not stop its oppressive tactics, it will be swept aside by the movement of the youth,” Omar said.
Stressing that the problem for the people of Kashmir was that the incumbent CM was in complete knowhow of what was happening on the ground, he said but Mehbooba chooses not to do anything for them as she was only executing GoI’s agenda.
“That agenda was decided by the Muftis in Amit Shah’s home,” the NC Working President said.
Talking about the meeting of his father and NC President, Farooq Abdullah with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the he said the PM had invited the three-time CM and sought suggestions on how the situation could be improved in the State.
“Farooq sahab clearly told him that GoI needed to engage in a process of dialogue on Kashmir by engaging with both Pakistan as well as the Hurriyat besides ending the spate of arrests and use of pellet guns and other oppressive tactics,” Omar said.
He said Mehbooba Mufti had learnt a lesson at SKICC when women, she had promised jobs, turned hostile at the event after coming to know that they were only being used as an audience.
‘BLIND, DEAF AND DUMB GOVT’
Speaking on the occasion, NC General Secretary and senior leader, Ali Muhammad Sagar termed the Mehbooba Mufti led government as blind, deaf and dumb.
He said the government was conducting experimentation on Kashmiri youth by using Kashmir as a lab for its repressive policies.
Sagar said NC does not want or never demanded toppling of Mehbooba-led government but always played the role of good opposition for the benefit of the people.
NC Provisional President, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani said the government had failed on all front but its performance on human rights front had been pathetic.
Earlier, addressing the youth convention, YNC Provincial President, Salman Ali Sagar said YNC would continue its outreach programmes across the length and width of Kashmir.
Salman said he was encouraged by the overwhelming response of the youth to the party’s political mission and programmes and praised Omar Abdullah’s leadership for empowering youth to be a part of change.
YNC Senior Vice Presidents Imran Nabi Dar and Younis Mubarak Gul also addressed the youth convention.
Various party leaders and office bearers including Muhammad Sayeed Akhoon, Showkat Ahmed Mir, Mushtaq Ahmed Guru, Iqbal Qasba also attended the convention besides YNC leaders Mudassir Shahmiri, Ahsan Pardesi, Muhammad Saleem Akhoon, Nilofer Masood, Salman Mattoo, Irfan Zehgeer, Mushtaq Mir, Abid Wani, Abdul Hamid, Javaid Bhat and Asif Zargar.