Srinagar, Apr 19: Ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday unveiled the party’s manifesto at the party headquarters here.
Addressing the press, the President of PDP outlined the core principles and objectives encapsulated within the manifesto. “Today, we release our manifesto in light of the prevailing circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir,” she said and lamented the transformation of Jammu and Kashmir into what she described as an “open-air prison,” emphasizing the erosion of fundamental rights and resources crucial to the well-being of its people.
The PDP leader articulated the multifaceted challenges confronting Jammu and Kashmir at present. “Our domicile laws have been altered, our resources exploited, and our land usurped,” she said, and alleged that there is a systematic disenfranchisement being faced by the people.
The PDP President also alleged that the youth here are being unfairly detained and without trial are languishing in jails. “Post 2019 Jammu and Kashmir has been turned into open air prison. Our resources, jobs, lands are being taken away from us. We are duty bound to highlight the agonies of people in the parliament. Instead of giving jobs, there are recruitment scams coming to the fore. Our traders and transporters are being hounded through ED, Income tax and NIA raids. People are being viewed with suspicion,” Mehbooba said.
She added that people are being given a sense of defeat so that they do not raise their voices and feel dejected and defeated. “PDP raised the voice even when 2019 turmoil happened. We paid the price- our workers were harassed, our party broken and even my family was not spared,” Mehbooba said.
According to the PDP President, the manifesto focuses on youth empowerment and infrastructure development, with plans to allocate MPLAD funds for education, skill centers, and basic amenities in remote areas. Additionally, it addresses regional disparities by expanding constituencies and prioritizing projects like the Mughal Road Tunnel.
Moreover, the manifesto highlighted the imperative of addressing regional disparities, with a focus on enhancing connectivity and accessibility in marginalized constituencies such as Rajouri and Poonch. “The expansion of Anantnag constituencies to include Rajouri and Poonch was done without compunction. The bad weather often shuts down the road. Construction of Mughal Road Tunnel will be our top priority,” Mehbooba said.
—(KNO)
