Srinagar, Mar 21: Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on “Parivarvaad”, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said the move would have “devastating implications” and would undermine the trust and faith of people in J&K in electoral democracy that has “so painstakingly been restored” over the years.
Talking to reporters in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Mufti said Amit Shah has “attempted to undermine the PDP by empowering A, B and C teams to flourish here, thereby silencing the authentic voices from reaching Parliament”. What can we say if Amit Shah breaches the trust of voters in J&K, she questioned.
Shah has said, “It does not matter whether the BJP will get the mandate in Kashmir, but the three ‘Parivarvaad parties’ including People’s Democratic Party – who did not let democracy flourish in the region should be wiped out”
Mehbooba criticised the BJP’s alleged campaign of suppression, asserting that it has inflicted misery upon the people of J&K. She lamented the “loss of rights and liberties” post-August 5, 2019.
“The BJP views the PDP as a staunch critic of its anti-people policies and has deliberately weakened the party and targeted me personally,” she said.
She said the BJP created new parties by “enticing and forcing” PDP leaders away, a move she believes is aimed at diluting the PDP’s influence as a “voice for the suppressed people” in J&K.
The PDP chief emphasised the importance of the electoral process as a means for the people to resist and express their grievances against the BJP’s “misdeeds ranging from stripping the people of J&K of their rights and liberties, plundering their resources & muzzling their voices”.
“In the hope that they would deter me from voicing the people’s concerns, they not only tried to weaken our party but also targeted me personally,” Mehbooba said, adding, “They (BJP) went all out by summoning me, my brother and my aged mother by the ED and even evicting me from my residence in the harsh winters and they failed.”
“Having failed miserably, now it seems they could go to any extent, including undermining the faith of the people of J&K in the electoral democratic process that has been restored through painstaking efforts over decades,” she said.
The former chief minister said that they want to see to it that PDP as the people’s voice is not allowed to reach the parliament of this country and for which they don’t care even about the national interest, the sole aim being the “elimination” of this party.
HM Shah recently said, “I appeal to my Muslim brothers and sisters in the valley to support the deepening of democracy by not voting for dynastic parties such as the Congress, PDP, and National Conference.”
