Chief Minister and National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Government in New Delhi left no stone unturned to make Kashmiris suffer during and after the devastating floods that caused unimaginable destruction in the State.Addressing public gatherings in various constituencies of Srinagar, he said, “If Prime Minister Narendra Modi actually had empathy towards Kashmiris then the flood-victims wouldn’t be camping in tents in sub-zero temperature despite the State Government repeatedly asking the Central BJP Government to take a final call of the proposed relief and rehabilitation package.”The public meetings held in Eidgah, Batamaloo, Khanyar and Amira Kadal were also addressed by senior NC leaders Ali Mohammad Sagar, Nasir Aslam Wani, Mubarak Gul and Irfan Ahmed Shah.
“Modi Sahab spoke about his realization of the pain and misery of Kashmiris during his public meeting in Srinagar without telling us where his empathy is for the flood victims of Kashmir who continue to await any sort of a relief and rehabilitation package from the BJP Government in New Delhi. While speeches and poetic rhetoric is all well and good, where is the substance? Where is the proof of these apparently noble intentions? If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is actually concerned about Kashmiris and their sufferings, what is stopping him from approving the 44,000 crore relief and rehabilitation proposal for the flood victims? He wants to transfer the funds directly into the accounts of the victims – who is stopping him or the Central Government from doing that? All we want is that the Central Government rises above politics of discrimination and polarization and does justice with the flood affected victims”, Omar said while addressing public meetings in Eidgah and Batamaloo.
He also lashed out at PDP Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for being ‘missing’ during the devastating floods and for arriving at Srinagar airport on a flight from Delhi and taking the same flight to Jammu without caring to interact with one flood victim. “We kept a helicopter waiting for Mufti Sahab and hoped that he would contribute his experience and help in that situation and wanted to give him the facility so that he could meet those he would have wanted to meet. However, Mufti Sahab came in a plane and left in the same plane while hundreds and thousands of Kashmiris were struggling to survive. We understand Mufti Sahab’s hurry. He must have seen this as an opportunity to lobby for power and elections and its apparent in how all PDP leaders, including its MPs rushed to Delhi during the floods to seek early elections rather than being with their people”, Omar said.
“National Conference took a clear stand on Assembly Elections. We could never imagine foisting elections on a devastated people who were sleeping under the open sky and whose homes were shattered. However, while National Conference appealed that flood victim rehabilitation be given a priority over elections, PDP and Congress abandoned the cause of the flood victims and left no stone unturned to force elections on our people at a time of collective mourning. Now that PDP has forced elections on our people during a time of mourning and misery, this nation will rise and give a befitting response to PDP and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed – just like it has at numerous instances in our history when Mufti Sahab had to forfeit his deposit in elections,” he said.
The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction at the smooth conduct of elections in phase three of the Assembly Polls today and claimed that just like in the first two phases it had become evident that National Conference would emerge as the single largest party in the State despite sponsored propaganda and fabrications by our detractors. “There is an unprecedented enthusiasm in our cadre and I have never seen such levels of passion in them. I congratulate the people of my State and our workers for this historic mobilization of support in favor of National Conference and assure them that National Conference will value this support and work towards upholding the honor and dignity of Jammu and Kashmir”, Omar said.