National Conference General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar Thursday claimed that his party was set to emerge yet again as the single largest party in the State post Assembly elections and would give many surprises to its opponents from South Kashmir.
Speaking at a rally in Kulgam after NC candidates from Noorabad, Kulgam and Homshalibug filed their nomination papers, Sagar said, “PDP was facing a severe crisis within the party and a sharp backlash from the public for corruption cases, scams and scandals being unearthed against the party's candidates every passing day.”"PDP talks of incumbency and anti-incumbency without realizing that most of the party's sitting legislators from South Kashmir have a huge anti-incumbency sentiment going against them in their respective areas. They were elected to represent the people of their areas in the Assembly and work for their welfare but they chose to abandon their constituents for melodramatic theatrics in the Assembly.
Based on their absolutely disappointing stints after being elected by the people, most PDP MLAs from South Kashmir have a wave of public resentment against them and National Conference is poised to reclaim a lot of seats from PDP in the coming elections", the NC General Secretary said while addressing the rally.He lashed out at PDP for ‘empowering extortionists, convicts and corrupt elements in their party and claiming to offer them as alternatives in our polity.’ "Alternatives can’t be convicts and thieves nor can they be former counter-insurgents and extortionists who made millions out of tormenting and torturing our youth. If this is what PDP has offered to the youth of this State as its candidates, the party should rest assured that the youth will reply with a resounding, empathetic 'no' to PDP in the coming elections" Sagar said.
He also blasted PDP for having the audacity to talk about AFSPA and said “it was none other than Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who invoked the draconian law in J&K during his tenure as the Home Minister of India.”"Besides invoking AFSPA here Mufti Sayeed also leased J&K out to Jagmohan under a tactical understanding and it is none other than Mufi Mohammad Sayeed who is responsible for numerous massacres and genocides in Kashmir - be it the Handwara Massacre, the Gaw Kadal Massacre, the Bijbehara Massacre, the Hawal Massacre or the assassination of Shaheed Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq. Mufti thinks that our youth are ignorant and not well versed with history. He is wrong and he will realize how wrong he is in taking the dignity and self-respect of our youth for granted in the coming elections", he alleged.The rally was also addressed by senior NC leader, sitting MLA and party candidate from Noorabad Sakina Ittoo, NC Candidate from Homshalibug Advocate Abdul Majeed Larmi and NC Youth Leader and Candidate from Kulgam, Imran Nabi Dar. The candidates claimed that NC was set to rescue South Kashmir from the clutches of ‘corruption, nepotism and local misrepresentation’ - all gifts of PDP to the people of South Kashmir.