Terming the Congress a partner in ‘loot, bloodshed, atrocities, corruption and mis-governance’ which the Omar Abdullah government has resorted to in Jammu and Kashmir for last six years, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti Monday expressed the hope that the people would hold to account in this election all those politicians who have got nothing but disaster to the state through their ‘misdeeds and corrupt practices.’“The Congress is equally responsible for the mess which the Omar Abdullah government has created in the state. Its ministers and politicians were not just found out to be corrupt but against many actions was also taken as an acknowledgment of crime but now the same people have been given mandate of the party,” she said while addressing various roadside meetings in Kokernag assembly constituency of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Abdul Rahim Rather, the party’s candidate for Kokernag constituency, was also present on the occasion.Mehbooba alleged the Congress ministers have blood on their hands being the partner of National Conference and now when the two parties are fighting elections separately the former can’t call themselves well wishers of the people on whom they have inflicted gravest injuries. “Tell me any scandal, scam, crime which Congress was not part of during last six years? From forest land to medicines in hospitals to molestation they have been found involved in everything which has got a bad name to the entire system,” she said
Elaborating further, Mehbooba said: “Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed was found involved in examination scandal involving his foster son and was later even pested of his education portfolio. In the previous coalition government also Peerzada Sayeed was accused of having taken bribe from a Congress MLA and Ghulam Nabi Azad had sacked him from his cabinet. Same is the case with Taj Mohuidin who is involved Shopian forest land grab and PHE scam; Shabir Khan was implicated in high profile molestation case; Sham Lal Sharma was caught up in drug scam and is directly responsible for more than five hundred infant deaths in Srinagar’s GB Panth Children Hospital that happened in the year 2012. Ghulam Ahmad Mir was the prime accused in the high profile sex scandal that shook the Valley in 2006. G M Saroori had to resign from R&B ministry after the name of his daughter figured in the impersonation case in a private medical college in Jammu.”
Mehbooba said that now the same people have been presented by the Congress to the people as its representatives.She said Congress can’t go unscathed for all its ‘offences and frauds’ and it is ironic that Rahul Gandhi and now Ghulam Nabi Azad are criticizing Omar Abdullah after having sustained him and coalition government for six years.“It is the Congress which provided the moral support to Omar Abdullah when he was ruthlessly presiding over the killing of innocent youth and children in 2010 and bailed him out in the Haji Yousuf’s murder case involving political corruption in the Abdullah family. It also helped Omar Abdullah to go slow in the high profile cricket scam involving his father, Dr Farooq Abdullah,” Mehbooba said.
The PDP President said the Congress hanged Mohammad Afzal Guroo out of turn only as a return favour by Omar to his friend who had owed his survival to Rahul Gandhi in spite of his repeated ‘failures.’Mehbooba said Congress as political party is a gone force as none of its Chief Ministerial candidates are fighting the ongoing assembly elections and its senior leaders like Mangat Ram Sharma and Lal Singh are leaving it. “They have no chief ministerial candidate and how come they are claiming to form the next government in the state,” she said adding like National Conference, the Congress too has been decimated by the people.Expressing the hope that the people would vote on merit and performance in the third phase of polling also, Mehbooba said mass participation of the people in the democratic process is fundamental to see Jammu and Kashmir on the path of peace, progress development.
“I hope the people in the third phase of polling will vote in right purpose and reject those politicians who have got nothing but disaster to the state,” she said.Referring to the local issues, Mehbooba said the whole Kokernag constituency offers an immense potential for tourism, fisheries, sheep rearing, horticulture, floriculture and agriculture and it will be the sincere endeavour of the next government to harness that potential so that more avenues for economic growth and job opportunities are created in the area. She said Kokernag, besides being represented by a minister, is facing a huge development deficit and the people here are facing with huge hardships. “Our government will address all your issues,” she told the people.Mehbooba said the construction of Vailoo-Chatroo tunnel will be top priority of the next government led Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.