Reiterating that the coming elections will be crucial in determining Jammu and Kashmir’s future, Former Chief Minister and President Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti said on Friday that coming elections provide an important chance to the people of the state to safeguard Jammu and Kashmir’s Muslim majority character and its core interests.
Addressing party worker’s convention in north Kashmir’s Uri, Mehbooba cautioned the people about sinister motives of the BJP to fragment people on the basis sects, communities and regions. She said that a very dreadful trap is being laid by the BJP so that it could divide residents of Jammu and Kashmir into Paharis, Gujjar Bakerwal, Shia, Sunni and Barelvis.
“They want to give an impression that only kashmiri speaking people of the valley are for special status of the state. While the fact remains that every single citizen of the state irrespective of his religion, language & sect holds our special status dearer than life. These nefarious designs are being implemented in the state so that it could deprive us of our special status and unique identity besides altering state’s Muslim majority character,” Mehbooba said while asking people to stay alert and not to allow the divisive and communal elements succeed in their villainous motives.
She said that while the state is going through tough times, people are knowledgeable enough to know what are the threats and the stakes involved and how proxies are being fielded in Kashmir so as to erode the special status and scrap Article 35-A.
“Stay cautious and don’t get caught as mesh is of the same colour as the ground. We must all resolve to defeat proxies and send a strong message to the world about how dear the unique identity of the state is to us,” Mehbooba said.
Mehbooba asked workers, to come forward in droves to support PDP’s candidates so that the party with greater force could thwart the assaults being launched against core interests of the state.
Recalling PDP’s pro-people initiatives and series of Confidence Building Measures, Mehbooba said that PDP as the largest political party of the state has always strived for the resolution of the problems through peace and empowerment of people.
“It is URI that mufti sahib made the very basis of proving how sincerity of purpose and strong resolve can make it possible to move forward on resolution of the issue of Kashmir”, she said.
Others PDP leaders who spoke on the occasion include Dr Mehboob Beg, Safina Beigh.
