Candidate imported to contest from south Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, May 15 , 2024 : Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday hit out at National Conference saying they imported a candidate to contest from south Kashmir’s Anantnag- Rajouri Lok Sabha seat. Mufti, contesting the Lok Sabha seat of
Anantnag- Rajouri, is pitted against NC’s Gujjar leader Mian Altaf and Apni Party’s
Zaffar Manhas. “South Kashmir was made the crown of Kashmir by Mufti ( Mohammad Sayeed) sahib. He created a lot of infrastructure for medical college and university . And now the member
parliament from south Kashmir is being snatched. And a man is imported from outside to
contest the elections,” Mehbooba told media persons in Anantnag on Wednesday.
On recent polling in Srinagar, Mufti said that people voted in good numbers to express their
anger against New Delhi’s decision of August 5, 2019- when Article 370 was abrogated in
Jammu and Kashmir. “The people are angry about the decision made on August 5, 2019. That’s why they (people) are coming out in large numbers to vote against the betrayal they feel and to send a message to Delhi that they haven’t accepted the August 5 decision,” she told media.
“People feel that they have been deceived by the central government following the abrogation of
Article 370 and they came out to vote to express their anger to register their protest to make New
Delhi aware that what they did in 2019 was illegal and unconstitutional,” she said.
“The Centre has to restore it (Article 370) today, tomorrow or day after,” the former Jammu and
Kashmir Chief Minister said. Mehbooba urged people of Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency to come out on the voting day on May 25 to exercise their franchise in a big way.
“A message should reach to Delhi that the uncertainty which is visible in Jammu and Kashmir as
it has been turned into an open jail and there is unprecedented unemployment, youth are
languishing in various jails of country and nobody is talking about them,” she said.
She alleged that electricity exporting from the soil of Kashmir is being provided to other parts of
the country free and here in Jammu and Kashmir people in various places are being charged 100
percent fee hike. “Nobody dares to talk about these things and even if a Journalist is talking he is being put in jail,” she said and added, “The one who would raise these issues should be voted and sent to Parliament.