National Conference on Monday, while strongly reacting to the wild remarks of Congress Leader Makhan Fotedar, expressed disappointment at Congress party’s opposition to the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the State. Terming Congress Leader Makhan Fotedar as a traditional, chronically communal enemy of the people of Kashmir, NC Spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said the Congress leader was an irrelevant entity in the politics of the State and should realize that the days when he along with his then Congress colleague Mufti Mohammad Sayeed manipulated democracy in the State were long over.Pertinently, Senior Congress Leader Makhan Lal Fotedar had on Sunday in an interview to a local newspaper opposed the revocation of AFSPA from the State.
“Fotedar’s name is etched in black letters in the history of J&K. He has been a permanent feature in almost all illegitimate intrigues launched against the State’s political honor, special status and dignity. He owes his place in politics to sycophancy and affinity to political circles and as always remains an irrelevant, anti-Kashmir voice that has absolutely no resonance on the ground. His opposition to the revocation of AFSPA has yet again revealed his vile, vituperative animosity with the people of Kashmir”, NC Spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said.Terming Fotedar’s comments about National Conference as the wishful, baseless figments of his imagination, NC Spokesperson Junaid Mattu asked Fotedar to introspect and look into why some of the most senior leaders of the Congress party faced rout in the Assembly Elections. “Fotedar’s remarks which come after PCC Chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir’s equally absurd remarks indicate that the Congress Party in J&K is still reluctant to reconcile with the fact that its Senior Leaders and Former Cabinet Ministers, including now PCC Chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir were routed in the elections. Rather than wasting his time in giving sermons, Fotedar should help Mir in ascertaining what activities of its leaders resulted in their complete rout”, the NC Spokesperson added.
“It seems there is a lobby in the State Congress that has yet again shelved its sense of self-respect and dignity as it continues in its quest to play second fiddle to Mufti Sahab’s mind-games despite being repeatedly used and disposed by the PDP with contempt. It is a fact that the Congress Leaders transferred votes in favor of PDP candidates in the Parliament Elections despite its pre-poll alliance with NC and the present PCC Chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir was a part of this ploy and illegitimate tacit understanding with PDP. It is also a fact that Congress Leaders from J&K including then PCC Chief, Professor Soz openly opposed revocation of AFSPA. Today the same Professor Soz has the audacity to demand the revocation of AFSPA. Also, recently the PCC Chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir has indirectly supported the execution of Afzal Guru through his veiled statements opposing the condemnation to Guru’s hanging. This ironically comes after Congress MLAs signed a letter expressing regret and condemning Guru’s execution ahead of the Legislative Council elections in the State. The Congress Party in J&K is weaving a web of contradictions around itself on sensitive issues like AFSPA, execution of Afzal Guru and on its basic political stand viz-a-viz the PDP-BJP unholy alliance, and if it doesn’t stop – it will get entangled in this web and perish” the NC spokesman further stated.
“Fotedar’s praise of Mufti Sayeed and his alleged secular credentials, while amusing is not surprising at all.
Fotedar and Mufti – as Congress co-conspirators in J&K – have been partners in crime when it comes to constitutional erosions and the manipulation of democracy in J&K. They have worked together in eroding Article 370 and in toppling democratically elected Governments. However it seems like Fotedar is still living in a delusion that the days of ‘Khaliq-made MLAs’ continue. People like Fotedar stand long exposed in front of the people of Kashmir”, NC Spokesperson Junaid Mattu said in the statement.The NC Spokesperson said National Conference had doubled its vote share after the Parliament Elections and the party is growing stronger and stronger with every passing day. “We are consolidating our grassroots presence and hundreds of new members are joining National Conference every single day under a pledge to rid the State of this unholy BJP-RSS-PDP nexus and we aim at nothing short of a single-party majority status in the State with a position of unquestionable strength in all the three regions of the State”, NC Spokesperson Junaid Mattu further added. (CNS)