Jahangeer Ganaie
Bijbehara, Jan 7: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of remaining silent on issues that directly affect common people, particularly land acquisition and the concerns of orchardists.
Speaking on the death anniversary of her father and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in Bijbhehara, Mehbooba said that instead of solving public issues, Omar Abdullah is busy speaking only against the PDP.
“He has an absolute majority, and his party has members in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, yet he chooses silence on issues that hurt the poor,” she said.
Mufti further claimed that CM Abdullah does not understand the emotional and economic value of orchards and land that belong to ordinary Kashmiris. “He doesn’t know what an orchard or a piece of land means to a poor family. That is why he is mute on these issues and refuses to speak for the people whose livelihoods are at stake,” she said.
The former Chief Minister added, “The unemployment rate and alienation among the people of J&K have reached a level that a doctor from Pulwama killed himself and some innocents in Delhi.”
Yet, the Omar Abdullah-led government is silent on burning issues in J&K, she said.
Mehbooba said a man from Qazigund set himself on fire after his close relatives were arrested, but no one from the government spoke on the issue.
“I approached the court to facilitate the release of Kashmiris languishing in jails outside the region, but I was told, “Who are you?” When the government refuses to address this issue, then who will? The people in jail are our own, and we have every right to speak about them,” she said.
The PDP chief urged the government to prioritise employment for local youth before acquiring land for railway and other major infrastructure projects in Kashmir, saying development cannot come at the cost of people’s livelihoods and dignity.
She said that land is the only source of survival for thousands of families in Kashmir, especially orchardists and small farmers. Any decision to take land must be accompanied by concrete assurances of jobs and rehabilitation for affected locals, she added.
“Before taking even an inch of land for a railway or any other project, the government must ensure that all unemployed youth and every affected family get jobs. Land here is not just property; it is a livelihood, identity and a survival for poor families,” she said.
Recalling her father’s approach to development, Mehbooba slammed Omar Abdullah for his remarks over the location of AIIMS Awantipora. She claimed it was the calibre of Mufti Sayeed who managed to get land close to Victor Force for AIIMS and even IUST Awantipora.
