PDP stands for peace: Parra

Srinagar, Apr 24: An unending stream of cabs filled with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters Wednesday accompanied Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, the party’s Lok Sabha candidate for the Srinagar seat to the Returning Officer’s office in Srinagar where the young leader filed his nomination papers.

Many enthusiastic workers, having wrapped themselves in PDP flags, featuring pen and inkpot, resorted to non-stop slogans in favour of their party and leaders.

The slogans like ‘Yeli Yi Mufti, Teli Tchali Sakhti’ (When Mufti returns to power, then only our troubles will end) filled the air as the rally, which started from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, the home district of Parra, made its way to the Returning Officer's office in Srinagar where Parra submitted his nomination papers.

Parra made a stopover at Lal Chowk, the business nerve centre of Srinagar.

Here the sloganeering grew more intense with even Parra himself joining in chanting.

Speaking to a knot of reporters, who followed Parra’s rally as soon as it entered the town, he said that he was not seeking votes for his party, but for the people of Kashmir.

“These votes are not for any party. They are for the protection of our land and identity. They are for those youth who are languishing in jails and have been forgotten,” Parra said.

He said that PDP would speak up for the youth of Kashmir in the parliament.

“We will address the people of the nation from the parliament and hold them answerable for all our rights,” Parra said.

He said that PDP’s slogan was peace with pride.

“Na grenade se na goli se, baat bane ge boli se (Neither with grenades nor with bullets, the issues will be resolved through dialogue) has always been the PDP's slogan and PDP believes in it,” Parra said.

Blaming National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha members for going mute in the parliament, Parra while pointing towards his supporters said, “We had three members in the parliament. They did not talk when our land was snatched and homes demolished.”

He said that people wanted a change and appealed to them to vote for PDP for this change.

“PDP is the sole party that raised the voice of the people over the last 5 years and we want to take this voice to the parliament,” Parra said.

He said that the PDP was the only party that had been under attack as it spoke up for the people.

Accompanied by senior party leaders, Naeem Akhtar and Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, Parra said that his party would represent all the issues of people in the highest democratic institution of the country.