‘PDP leadership hurting sentiments of Jammu and Kashmir’

Srinagar: Independent legislator Sheikh Abdul Rashid today accused PDP leadership of "hurting" the sentiments of people of Jammu and Kashmir by "sacrificing its self-respect to grab power".

"Kashmiris are neither beggars nor want meager concessions from New Delhi, but have been distancing from Sang Pariwar over its agenda.

"By sacrificing its self-respect to grab power, PDP has hurt the sentiments of the people of the state," Rashid, who represents north Kashmir's Langate in Assembly, said.

He said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was expected to persuade Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer dialogue to Hurriyat for permanent resolution of Kashmir, talks on self-rule and an assurance that BJP will respect the special status including Article 370 and separate flag and separate constitution for the state.

"But BJP has made her to have a shameless surrender and all her tall claims during last two months have dashed to earth. She should have surrendered on the very first day after Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed's) Sahib's demise, rather than making things suspicious and sensational for about two months.

"May she answer what stopped her from going to fresh polls or having an alliance with secular forces, when everybody begged her for the same?" Rashid said.

He said Mehbooba needs to understand that "the battle is not about return of power projects, financial packages or other routine issues".

"Had these been the basic issues, then BJP should had been the better choice than other political parties for the people of the state," Rashid said.

The legislator said people were expecting that Mehbooba would rectify the huge mistakes committed by PDP leadership in the past and prefer to dissolve the assembly but "it is obvious that she had neither been sincere to people, nor to her own agenda".

"Talking about agenda of alliance is a move to hide the failures and Mehbooba needs to understand that Kashmiris have rejected the so called agenda of alliance from the day one as majority of the people of the state have very serious and basic concerns and reservations with the ideology and programmes of BJP," he said.