National Conference on Saturday lashed out at the PDP-BJP Government of Mehbooba Mufti for their deliberate machinations to persecute the people of Kashmir to quell the popular perception against PDP’s sell-out. National Conference South Zone President and Former Cabinet Minister, Sakina Ittoo said institutional decay and misgovernance had become the hallmarks of Mehbooba Mufti’s Government apart from the killing and blinding out youth, unprecedented wave of repression and indiscriminate arrests. She hit out at the Chief Minister for allowing Kashmir to be deprived of vital educational institutes and said this was part of a greater plan to rob the youth of Kashmir of career opportunities.
“The State Government has become the subsidiary of RSS’s systemic infiltration into J&K’s polity and is furthering their divisive, anti-Kashmir and anti-minority agenda. PDP’s alliance with those who find their political identity in opposition to J&K’s special status is a dangerous internal assault on our political rights and dignity. PDP has become an RSS Trojan Horse and has bartered the interests of the people of Kashmir to remain in power. The fact that Kashmir has been deprived of IIM, IIT and NIFT while the Chief Minister is busy appeasing the BJP is an indication of where the people of Kashmir stand today”, Sakina Ittoo said in a statement to KNS.The Former Minister said Mehbooba Mufti had handed over the keys of the secretariat to the RSS and had become more loyal to the RSS than BJP itself. “In an effort to prove herself to be more loyal than the King, Mehbooba Mufti has become a mute spectator as Kashmir is being deprived of key educational institutions like the IIM and IIT. When the previous Omar Abdullah-led Government could succeed in getting two Central Universities for the State each for Jammu and Kashmir, why couldn’t Mehbooba Mufti ensure that Kashmir isn’t deprived of an IIM and IIT?”, Sakina Ittoo added.
“When the Central Government bowed to the pressure of certain lobbies in Jammu to grant Jammu an additional AIIMS after one was granted for Kashmir, why couldn’t the State Government seek the same treatment in case of IIT and IIM? Mehbooba Mufti’s lack of leadership and her complete lack of loyalty to the people of Kashmir has resulted in both IIM and IIT being limited to Jammu. We are not against an IIT and IIM in Jammu, but why is the Government so openly prejudiced against the people of Kashmir and why is the delicate regional balance of the State being violated?, the Former Minister said.
National Conference South Zone Head and Former Minister also lashed out at the State Government over the shifting of NIFT from Kashmir to Jodhpur and said this was yet another indication of disempowerment and prejudice. “NIFT has been moved to Jodhpur under the guise of the law and order situation and the State Government is completely clueless and unaware about this important development that deprives the students of Kashmir of another vital institution. Mehbooba Mufti should either safeguard the interests of all regions of the State or openly declare that she has sold her objectivity and conscience to the RSS and the BJP”, Sakina Ittoo added.
“There is a wave of mass repression, indiscriminate arrests and intimidation of innocent civilians across the Valley. If Mehbooba Mufti thinks such mass persecution will help in normalizing the situation, she is living a fool’s paradise. Standing crops are being burnt and destroyed, animal fodder damaged and houses ransacked under the nose of the Chief Minister. Her silence has translated into a sense and atmosphere of impunity. This repressive approach is only adding to the anger on the streets and is further alienating our youth. Even electric transformers are being fired at to damage them and torment the people as a cold winter approaches”, Sakina Ittoo further added. (KNS)