Ganderbal, May 10: “You sent him to jail; we will send him to Parliament,” said People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti during a roadshow in Ganderbal, canvassing support for Waheed U Rehman Parra, the party’s candidate for Srinagar parliamentary constituency.
Addressing crowds across various locations in central Kashmir district, the former chief minister said her current fight is not against Omar Abdullah or the National Conference but against the significant challenges Kashmir has been facing since 2019. She highlighted the loss of land, jobs, and electricity, depicting these losses as severe hardships for Kashmiris compared to the country.
Expressing her confidence in garnering support, Mehbooba said, “I am proud that the people stand with us.” She underscored Parra’s three-year incarceration, saying that he faced accusations similar to those endured by ordinary Kashmiris.
She further asserted that Parra’s candidacy symbolises hope for marginalised voices. “Waheed represents the youth who are subjected to torture, imprisonment, and ridicule,” she said, citing the PDP youth president’s grassroots background as an asset to represent genuine aspirations in Parliament.
Mufti highlighted the PDP’s accomplishments during its brief tenure, which, she said, marked the “successful initiatives to restore peace, repeal oppressive laws, and promote education”. “In our three-year rule, we achieved milestones that the National Conference couldn’t in 50 years,” she remarked, citing achievements such as ending gun violence, repealing “repressive” laws, facilitating cross-LoC travel and establishing universities.
