Support PDP during Panchayat, ULB elections: Mehbooba

Jammu, Dec 1: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Sunday asked people to vote for her party during ensuing elections to Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to see a discernible difference in governance.

Mehbooba, while addressing the party workers in Jammu, warned that the country, in the wake of ongoing divisive politics on the basis of religion, was “heading towards 1947-partition like situation”, which she likened to the one presently prevailing in Bangladesh. “I don’t find much difference between the situation in India and the scenario presently prevailing in Bangladesh, where we have heard that Hindus are being harassed,” she said.

Referring to existing “dual power structure” in the Union Territory, she stated, “You are witnessing present scenario where J&K is being run by “half-government(s)” – on one side, it is being run by NC-Congress government and on the other side, there is BJP ruling J&K, through the Lieutenant Governor. Support PDP in Panchayat and ULB polls to see discerning differences as our party’s avowed objective is to serve people, become their voice and ameliorate their plight.”

She expressed concern over the Sambhal incident in UP and the recent court order to survey Ajmer Sharif shrine, a testament to the unique “Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb” of India.

“I don’t have any doubts that majority Hindus of this country are secular but the divisive forces, using religion as a card, are posing a threat to this secular culture, which may take us to 1947-partition like situation,” she warned and asked people to get united to take on these (divisive) forces.

“This is a secular land of Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Maulana Azad, Patel and Dr Ambedkar, where seeds of division are being sown through Mandir-Masjid politics. Reason being the government has failed to address people’s real basic issues related to jobs, health, road, good infrastructure, water, electricity so it is looking for temples in mosques,” former Chief Minister stated.

“In Sambhal, four innocent youth were killed. Anyone speaking against such acts will be put behind bars like Umar Khalid, who has been suffering there for the past four years. Plots to dig mosques and now even the shrine, in search of a temple....for how long will it continue?,” she shared her concern.

“We will have to check this trend as a united force. Otherwise there remains no difference between Bangladesh, where Hindus are being harassed and India, which is known across the globe for its secular character,” she said.

Mehbooba also lauded “secular character of Jammu” and stated that people (of Jammu) would have to maintain communal harmony at all costs as it was their strength and a unique characteristic.

Mehbooba also shared her doubts about the results in assembly elections. Reference was to Maharashtra assembly elections though she did not name any state yet questioned, “How come there would be different 58 percent polling at 6 pm and it would increase to 68 percent by evening and then to 70 percent before counting. There is something wrong somewhere.”