‘Article 370 abrogation illegal’: Mehbooba Mufti in PDP manifesto

Naseer A Ganai

Srinagar, April 19

A day after People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti filed her nomination papers from the Rajouri-Anantnag constituency, she released her party’s manifesto terming abrogation of Article 370 as illegal.

Describing stopping of the cross-LoC trade as “arbitrarily”, Mehbooba accused the government of pushing people of J&K towards collective disempowerment and turning J&K into an open air prison.

To highlight connectivity issues

• The party to highlight connectivity issue and demand construction of Mughal Road Tunnel and Saadhna Tunnel
• The manifesto says a part of MP’s local area funds to be used to strengthen skill centres
• It also promises implementing comprehensive waste management and collection services in Jammu and Kashmir

She said her party’s priority would be to highlight connectivity issue and demand construction of the Mughal Road Tunnel, Saadhna Tunnel and Rajdhaani Tunnel.

The manifesto says a part of MP’s local area funds would be used to strengthen skill centres by providing equipment such as tailoring machines, laptops and computers. “School-going girls face inconvenience daily due to the lack of toilet facilities in schools. Funds will be devoted to build clean toilets so that their education doesn’t suffer,” the manifesto says.

“Through my MPLAD funds, I will work towards providing youth with recreational facilities like playgrounds, sports equipment and laptops at educational institutions and skill centres,” Mehbooba said.

While the manifesto says the PDP will seek the return of power projects to the UT, it also promises implementation of comprehensive waste management and collection services in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the manifesto has a long commentary on abrogation of Article 370 and events that followed it.

“Since 2019 after the illegal abrogation of Article 370, J&K has been converted into an open air prison. There has been an unending onslaught on our collective identity, land, jobs, resources and infringement upon the very freedom to speak,” the manifesto says.

It says “a slew of decisions were being taken daily from thousands of kilometres away in Delhi to disempower and dispossess the people”.

It accused the government of “starting with making drastic changes to the state subjects and land laws”.

“Even developmental projects are being handed over to non-locals. Hundreds of government employees have been fired on flimsy grounds. Every recruitment scheme since 2019 stands tainted by murky scams. Thus depriving our hard-working aspirants of job opportunities,” the manifesto says.

“The backbone of our economy has been our vibrant horticulture sector. This too has borne the brunt of a set of anti-trade measures taken such as removal of tax barriers on imported apples and walnuts,” the manifesto says.

“Tribal communities like Gujjars, Bakerwals and Paharis are being forcibly evicted from their lands which they had inhabited since generations. Thus rendering them homeless,” it says.

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