Srinagar: In a passionate plea for unity, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti has urged workers and activists of various political parties to support the PDP in the upcoming elections, urging them to rise above partisan politics and fight for the safeguarding of the region’s core identity and interests.
Addressing various roadshows in Kokernag and adjacent areas, where a large number of people welcomed Mehbooba Mufti wholeheartedly and became part of rallies, the PDP President lamented the tough times faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the unjust incarceration of innocent youth. She however said that guns and stones will not resolve the issue but PDP will resist through vote and voice. 
Expressing disappointment over the reluctance of the National Conference (NC) to collaborate in the electoral battle, Mehbooba emphasized the importance of solidarity in facing the region’s adversities. “There was a dire need for these polls to be fought together. Unfortunately, the NC didn’t want that. They wrote off the PDP. NC leadership declared that PDP is finished. How can a party be finished that has eradicated the Ikhwan culture and repealed POTA in Kashmir? How can you finish the party that opened roads across the LOC and even initiated a new era of dialogue and reconciliation? If PDP were to be finished, you would not have seen such massive support for the party in every nook and corner at present. People in hordes are coming out to support the party. I am really thankful to them for this,” Mehbooba said.
The upcoming election, said Mehbooba, serves as a crucial platform to resist the erosion of Jammu and Kashmir’s identity and interests. Pointing to issues such as land appropriation, resource exploitation, and rampant unemployment, the PDP President called on voters to recognize the broader significance of their participation beyond mere infrastructural promises.
Appealing to workers of rival parties, including the NC and Congress, Mehbooba urged them to recognize the gravity of the situation and unite in the common cause. Stressing that the election is not merely about amenities but about safeguarding fundamental freedoms and rights, the PDP President warned against succumbing to external pressures that seek to plunder the region of its resources, lands, and jobs.
Mehbooba also recounted the persecution against her and Mufti saheb’s party and legacy that has a clear cut agenda and manifesto of peace with dignity. “ They saw that as the first line of defence for Jammu and Kashmir and therefore coerced, lured the PDP leaders to break up the party. But our workers remained at their place with fire in their hearts and the people who remained silent to wait and grab their opportunity. That opportunity has come now and we’re determined to take our case through your vote to the people of Mhatama Gandhi’s India. I appeal to not boycott the polls this time. Your vote will empower me to tell this to the parliament that the August 5, 2019, decision is unacceptable to us and whatever has been snatched must be returned without further delay,” Mehbooba said.
Those areas which PDP president visited during her road show today include Hiller, Buchoo, Sagam, Kokernag, Bidder, Wangam, Vailoo, Dandipora, Khirti, Larnoo and was accompanied by senior leader Adv Firdous Tak, District President Adv Sheikh Javaid, tribal president Ch Talib Hussain, Senior leader Showkat Daing, Ab Salam Reshi, Zone president Ali Mohammad Mir, party spokesperson Najam u Saqib and many others.
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