Waheed Para says some parties begging for elections ‘only for power’; NC responds: ‘Walk away if you feel suffocated in alliance’
Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Jul 31 :
The scathing attack by a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader apparently on National Conference has revealed the cracks within the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) – a conglomerate of several J&K parties seeking restoration of Article-370 among other issues. The PDP and NC are the two main parties of the alliance.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the PDP senior leader and youth president Waheed Para on Monday alleged that those people who are responsible for the 1987 election rigging, made SOG, Ikhwan and Pota are after elections only for power.
Most of the parties are begging for elections, quarters and PSOs only, Para said while speaking at the PDP’s 24th Foundation Day here.
“Those responsible for 1987 rigging, pushing youth to the gun by dispossessing democratic setup are begging for elections and alliance in Delhi. They made SOG, Ikhwan and POTA for power but PDP didn’t make such things but rather ended these,” he said. “There are some parties that are after elections, while some are after quarters and PSOs besides an alliance with BJP, but they must remember that power alone won’t lead them anywhere. Had such been the case, there would have not been deaths and killings in the past regimes.
Para added, “There was no difference with the BJP over CM post, ministers or power but the PDP wanted peace and dignity for the people of J&K through an inclusive political process and the then CM Mehbooba Mufti got the all party delegation to the doors of AHPC but they closed their doors.”
We withdrew 12,000 cases against youth, but almost every offer of the PDP chief was “misused”.
“The PDP was broken before the abrogation of Article 370 as BJP knew it was the only democratic resistance on the ground,” Waheed said. “Mehbooba Mufti is standing for people and their dignity, while the elections and other things hardly matter.”
Responding to Para’s allegations, the National Conference accused him of creating confusion among the opposition ranks
“It seems Waheed Para’s intention was to sow confusion among the opposition ranks,” the NC chief spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said.
Talking to Twitter, Dar wrote, “If you feel suffocated within the alliance, simply walk away instead of resorting to fake narratives to justify your actions.”
“While we are aware of your historical blunders, our priority was Unity,” he added—(KNO)