Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Spokesperson and Member Legislative Council, Naeem Akhtar. Sunday said that the belated `realization’ and `transformation’ of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, was merely a desperate attempt his party was now making to cling to power in Jammu and Kashmir.“It took almost six years and the humiliating defeat for him (Omar) to realize that he was arrogant and inaccessible to the people. He (Omar) was elected by the people to represent them and redress their grievances but instead the Chief Minister behaved like CEO of a private enterprises – the National Conference has always treated the state of Jammu and Kashmir”, Akhtar said, according to a statement issuedHe was addressing a well-attended convention of PDP (Youth) here on Sunday. He was accompanied by PDP Youth President, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, Arshid Malik, Abdul Ahad Wani, Swami Raj Bhagat, Imtiyaz Khanday, Showkat Daing and Shahnazwaz Mir.
Responding to media reports quoting the Chief Minister that he has “changed 180 degrees after facing clean sweep in the Lok Sabha elections”, Akhtar said, “People are wise enough to understand the gimmick of National Conference and its leadership.“The claims of introspection and change will not mop out the wounds and sufferings this dispensation has inflicted upon the people with its inefficiency, mis-governance and anti-people approach during the last around six years”, he said adding, “The National Conference did everything from suppression to transforming Jammu and Kashmir into police state only in order to stick to power and now when it realized that the days of being in power were numbered the party leadership was staging the drama of self-introspection”.
Akhtar said that the problem with the National Conference and its leadership was that there was no culture of respecting aspirations and mandate of people and facing defeat. “Winning or losing an election is part of democratic system. But it seems that there is no culture of facing defeat in the National Conference and it is not ready to part with luxuries, which comes with power”. “It is the interests and basic aim which separate the PDP from NC. While PDP has sacrificed power for the people, NC is known for bartering interests and aspirations of people to stick to power”, he said.
Addressing the convention, PDP Youth President Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra said that Omar has not only failed his party, himself but an entire generation. “He (Omar) was considered to be a youth icon when he took over the reign of power in Jammu and Kashmir and he had as such a responsibility of not only delivering on ground but setting an example for the generations to come”.Parra said that Omar being a young leader had a sort of national consensus to support him. “There was an impression that it was only Omar who has the capability to deliver in Jammu and Kashmir. But see where he (Omar) has landed himself and the state today” he said adding, today his (Omar’s) failure is being considered to be failure of young generation, which is otherwise not true as was evident from the fact that it was the youth of state which has now laid the foundation of change in Jammu and Kashmir.