Senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former finance minister, Tariq Hameed Karra Friday said staying home on election day means voting for the National Conference, which has time-and-again backstabbed the people of Kashmir and have nothing to show by way of performance, therefore they are exclusively counting on boycott to continue to stay in power.According to a statement,he said though the separatists have every right to call for boycott of elections but they equally have to think whether it helps the cause of ordinary people or not, who have got trampled, exploited under the cruel politics of National Conference over the years.
Addressing various public meetings at Kujar, Malpora and Bunderkund in Ganderbal district Karra said the people of Kashmir, who have suffered immensely over the last many decades because of the NC leadership, too deserve a system which shall take care of them in the most humane manner without letting the blood to flow down the drains. All that requires that we shall look at the ground realities and understand the pain of people who want to get rid of the NC to pave way for a broader discourse about governance and politics to emerge from here, he added.Karra said the PDP, which has its own idea, agenda about the welfare of people and resolution of Kashmir issue, believes that in democracy everyone has right to have his opinion because that not only brings about vibrancy in the process but makes politics inclusive unlike the NC which has always been averse to any form of opposition to develop from here. “We are not against any inpidual or idea but we want to pursue the cause of our people by our way so that there is end to this uncertainty which has only got disaster in the lives of common masses,” said Karra.
He said Kashmir issue is not that weak to get diluted with the costing of vote but it will definitely help the NC to strength the instruments of oppression to unleash terror on people with all impunity. “Besides doing huge sell-outs, U-turns, splattering blood of innocents on ground and putting thousands behind the bars under PSAs and using other harsh draconian measures to silence the voices of dissent, the NC with no shame is still asking for votes, because it knows well it does not enjoy power because of the popular vote. That is why it is not feeling accountable before the people for its all frauds and acts of omission and commission,” Karra said.Karra said people are being exploited on every front within the system be it the delivery of justice, services or providing jobs and there is no accountability, transparency seen anywhere to provide the people relief. He said the NC, which has been the primary beneficiary of boycott, has let loose the most dishonest, unpleasant system in the state where at every stage money is sought from the people to get their works done. That is quite unfortunate if we won’t allow a system to develop in Kashmir which will give voice to the voiceless and in real sense take care of the needs of people so that there is end to the NC’s exploitative and deceitful politics.