Mehbooba Mufti slams CM Omar for 'silence' on land acquisition, orchardists' concerns
Bijbehara, Jan 07: People's Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of remaining silent on issues that directly affect common people, particularly land acquisition and the concerns of orchardists.
Speaking on the death anniversary of her father and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in Bijbhehara, Mehbooba Mufti said that instead of solving public issues, Omar Abdullah is busy speaking only against the PDP.
"He has an absolute majority, and his party has members in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, yet he chooses silence on issues that hurt the poor," she said
She further claimed that Omar Abdullah does not understand the emotional and economic value of orchards and land that belongs to ordinary Kashmiris. "He doesn't know what an orchard or a piece of land means to a poor family. That is why he is mute on these issues and refuses to speak for the people whose livelihoods are at stake," she said.
Mehbooba Mufti also said that the unemployment rate and alienation among the people of J&K has reached a level that a doctor from Pulwama killed himself and some innocents in Delhi, yet Omar Abdullah government is silent on burning issues in J&K.
She also urged the government to prioritise employment for local youth before acquiring land for railway and other major infrastructure projects in Kashmir, saying development cannot come at the cost of people's livelihoods and dignity.
She said that land is the only source of survival for thousands of families in Kashmir, especially orchardists and small farmers, and any decision to take land must be accompanied by concrete assurances of jobs and rehabilitation for affected locals.
"Before taking even an inch of land for a railway or any other project, the government must ensure that all unemployed youth and every affected family get jobs. Land here is not just property; it is a livelihood, identity and a survival for poor families," she said—(KNO)
