SRINAGAR: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the PDP of looting Jammu and Kashmir besides emotionally blackmailing people, party patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on Saturday said his party leadership does not need any certificate on its integrity.
Modi is staking the prestige of the high office he occupies by indulging in defamatory rhetoric for electoral gains in Jammu and Kashmir, Sayeed said while addressing election rallies in Kulgam and Kupwara districts.
“Unfortunately, he (Modi) is doing so without regard to facts or the perception among the people of the State,” the PDP patron said.
“It is very alarming that the Prime Minister of a large country like ours should be so much ill-informed about the ground realities of a sensitive State like J-K and just for adding few seats in the Assembly he should sacrifice facts and promote a culture of character assassination,” Sayeed who was chief minister from 2002 to 2005, said.
Sayeed said Jammu and Kashmir has a different experience of prime ministerial visits which have generally focused on larger picture of the region and how peace, stability and development could be ushered in.
“Atal Bihari Vajpayee redefined the future course by his visit to Kashmir and his cooperation with the PDP-led government but it is unfortunate that Modi in spite of swearing by the Vajpayee policy has so far observed it only in breach,” he said.
Sayeed said the Prime Minister has to be unifying force and not the one who is seen as a source of division and confrontation.
The Prime Minister had yesterday said Jammu and Kashmir has been stagnant for the last 30 years due to lack of development and accused the ruling NC, Congress and PDP of indulging in corruption and looting the State besides “emotionally blackmailing” people.
The former chief minister said the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and the problems faced by its residents exist in many layers and it is only through a multidimensional inclusive approach that these can be resolved.
“That is why I have spent an entire lifetime in trying to give this State a pluralistic platform that takes on board the aspirations of every region and community of this diverse State and I would do every bit to defend the interests of the State with the help of our people,” he said.
Sayeed said the PDP has established a shining example of good governance in extremely challenging circumstances.
“We don’t need to indulge in explaining our conduct but it is an undeniable fact that PDP brought about a change of fundamental nature in Jammu and Kashmir which impacted the entire region,” he said.
“In 2002, we didn’t face only the problems of Bijli, Sadak, Paani but for most of the people here it was the question of survival in view of repression of all kinds unleashed on them,” he added.
The PDP set new standards of development in a conflict zone which was ravaged by violence for more than a decade and established accountability and probity in public life, which many other States including the Central government are still struggling to do,” Sayeed said. (PTI)
