Kulgam (Jammu and Kashmir): People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said her party is fighting the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections not only to carry out development work but also to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from burying the Kashmir issue and Article 370. “It is a matter of shame for the BJP which has been saying that the situation has improved but they could not hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 10 years. People are angry, they are feeling suffocated. They want a government that can address their concerns and end their difficulties,” Mehbooba told reporters here.
The PDP chief said that her party is not contesting the elections only to build drains and streets. She said, “We are contesting the elections because the BJP wants to bury the Kashmir issue and Article 370. It (BJP) wants everyone to talk only about the elections.” She said, “But we are adamant that the solution of the Kashmir issue is very important.”
When asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jibe at the Abdullah family, Mufti family and Gandhi family, Mehbooba said, “He had said he will deposit Rs 15 lakh in people’s (bank) accounts and give two crore jobs every year. Has he given two crore jobs? So what should I answer to what he says?” The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said if her party comes to power again, the first thing she will do is to recruit about one lakh government posts on fast track basis in a transparent manner. “We will make daily wage labourers permanent. We will also try to bring multinational companies here to provide employment opportunities,” she said.
