Senior PDP leader and former Finance Minister Tariq Hameed Karra today appealed the voters of Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary constituency to give him a chance to serve them on a bigger platform. “I am contesting the Parliamentary polls with the sole objective of highlighting, at a bigger platform, the vital political and economic issues confronting J&K,” Karra said according to a statement issued while addressing a series of election meetings here. He said the Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary constituency is being represented in the Parliament by National Conference representatives for the past almost 60 years without making any tangible contribution on ground. “Let the voters of this constituency give PDP next 5 years, we would try our best not to let them down,” he said and urged the youth to lead the movement for change.
Karra said as a legislator and a minister in the State for a brief stint between 2003 and 2008, he worked day and night for the welfare of the people. “It was because of my staunch views and the stand taken by me on the issues concerning political and economic injustices meted out to Kashmir, that some hidden hands from Delhi to Srinagar, ensured my defeat in 2008 Assembly polls through tactical rigging,” he said. “Today it is a contest between those who sacrificed Kashmir’s interests for power and those who got sacrificed for trying to safeguard Kashmir’s interests, he said and added: “I am sure this time round the emancipated voters of Srinagar won’t allow any electoral maneuvering in Srinagar which has only led to systemic political and economic disempowerment of its inhabitants.” “I request the voters in Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency to give me a chance and I won’t disappoint them,” he said.
Karra said unfortunately at a time when sitting Member Parliament Dr Farooq Abdullah and his Chief Minister son Omar Abdullah should have been presenting the report card of their last 5 years’ performance before the people, they are busy dishing out absurd statements lacking tangible content and intellectual depth. “Delhi has never given such unflinching support to any Chief Minister in J&K as was given to Omar Abdullah. But alas he couldn’t transform this support for the benefit of the people,” Karra said and added that the massive effort that had gone into creating a new atmosphere of peace, reconciliation and development in and around J&K seems at the real risk of going waste due to the violent machinations of NC. “We are today at the crossroads of a historic moment for change and it’s for the people of Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary constituency to consolidate this movement,” he said.