PDP flagging up lame excuses: Sakina Itoo

Srinagar, Nov 7: Minister of Health, Education and Social Welfare Sakina Masood Itoo on Thursday said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was flagging up lame excuses as it has nothing to say before the public.

The minister said that PDP has been frustrated by the working of Omar Abdullah-led government and instead of appreciating they were habitual of criticising every move of the government.

“PDP has been frustrated as its space has got choked at grassroots level in Jammu and Kashmir,” she told media persons on the sidelines of the J&K Assembly. The Minister said that PDP has nothing to say before people, that is why they were flagging up lame excuses. “The NC has brought a resolution which clearly maintains that the government wants special status of J&K back. And when we say special status, it means Article 370 and 35(A). So they (PDP) should learn the language properly to understand things in the proper sense,” she said.

While hitting hard at the MLAs who supported PDP’s resolution on special status, the Minister of Health, Education and Social Welfare without naming JKPC president and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone said that their aide was in the cabinet in the recent past due to patronage of Nagpur, who openly said that PM Narendra Modi is his elder brother.

“When NC extended support to PDP in 2014 for government formation in J&K, he was the man who left no stone unturned to convince New Delhi and bowed down his head there to get the chair. Everything he did is on record. People are well aware of the devastation he brought to J&K while remaining a minister in the BJP-led coalition government,” Itoo said.

She said the party (PDP) which formed the government in the recent past has been reduced to three members in the House. “Omar Abdullah-led government is working with sincerity and brought resolution about special status restoration to J&K in the house. This is a big thing that the government has brought resolution in the House,” she said. She criticised PDP’s opposition to the resolution and finding ‘lacunas’ in it, saying the party should have appreciated and welcomed it, instead of criticizing the government's move.