BJP has sleepless nights over PAGD white paper: Farooq Abdullah

Ganderbal: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Party President and Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday (March 2) said communal forces are day in day out trying to politically neutralise the region's ‘real representative, democratic forces’.

During a party function in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, senior Abdullah said, "Finding themselves in a sticky situation, these communal forces under the smokescreen of electoral redistricting are gerrymandering to politically isolate the real representative and democratic forces of Jammu and Kashmir.” 

Reacting to BJP's remarks that PAGD’s white paper is a desperate attempt to regain lost power in J&K, Abdullah said that BJP and its local proxies who perversely are endeavouring to grab power, themselves fit the description.

“People know who is desperate to grab power. Everything is before them. We are not in politics to grab power, but to protect political, cultural and economic interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Knowing that they cannot swoop in to grab power through democratic means, BJP and its proxies are engineering defections by employing perverse tactics. Today the youth of Jammu, Pir Panjal, Chenab, and Kashmir are disenchanted.  BJP's self-styled version of Naya Kashmir has so far only entailed falsehood and deceit,” he said. 

“We challenge the BJP to counter our white paper with its own white paper. We challenge the BJP government on its claims of providing jobs, investment and development. A lie has no legs. This BJP knows. The myths they have been churning out are about to die universal death,” he added. 

The formation of PAGD, he said, was the redefining moment in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. “NC is not up for petty electoral gains. I along with other constituent members of PAGD are working for a much larger cause and purpose to restore J&Ks abridged constitutional and democratic rights.” 

Accusing the NATO expansion of steering Ukraine towards bloodshed, the former J&K CM said the troubled country is paying the price for needless provocation to Russia,  he said, “I hope the involved parties take to the path of negotiation and restore peace in the embattled region. It is the people who are at the receiving end. Both the involved parties should redress each other's concerns.”

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