Ongoing elections opportunity to amplify region’s voice in Parliament: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, May 23: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President & Candidate for Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary segment Mehbooba Mufti today termed the ongoing elections in Jammu and Kashmir as a crucial opportunity to amplify the voice of the region's people in Parliament.

Addressing media after visiting her father’s grave at Dara Shukoh park in Bijbehera today, she emphasised the necessity of expressing dissent against the disempowering events that have unfolded since August 5, 2019.

She was also accompanied by Party Youth President Waheed ur Rehman Parra, Ex MP Fayaz Ahmad Mir, District President Adv Sheikh Javaid, Party Spokeperson Najmu Saqib, State Secretary, Arif Laigaroo, Parvez Waffa, Aditya Gupta, Mohd Altaf and others others on this occasion.

Highlighting the political maturity and foresightedness of people of Jammu & Kashmir, Mehbooba cited the significant voter turnout in the Srinagar and Baramulla parliamentary polls as evidence of the “current suffocation” felt by the people. She highlighted the plight of thousands of Kashmiri youth imprisoned outside the region, “whose parents struggle to navigate the legal system.” "This election is about those youth - to get them freed," she asserted,

Mehbooba emphasised the importance of high voter turnout, warning against efforts by the BJP and its allies to “suppress voter participation.” "The BJP-led dispensation and its henchmen in Kashmir are trying hard to make people stay away from polling as they are well aware the votes would go to the PDP alone," Mehbooba said.

Answering a question, she pointed to NC’s current actions as evidence of their “betrayal” and said that she always trusted Dr Farooq Abdullah. “But they betrayed that trust and declared that PDP has vanished from the scene. This is their approach towards the unity of political parties for the greater fight. We had nourished the PAGD for four years, and NC bulldozed it in one go. I was hoping that Farooq Abdullah sahab would decide the head of the conglomerate, but he didn't. He decided as NC President and didn't rise above party politics for the greater cause," Mehbooba said.

She appealed people of Anantnag and Rajouri to come out in huge numbers and said that this vote at this time will stand against the 2019 decision and a clear massage that “we demand our rights back.”