As thousands of people from Jammu and Kashmir thronged the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s event, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the administration was forcing government employees to attend the event to paint a “pretty picture” about Jammu and Kashmir.
“Disheartening to see employees being forcibly mobilized to paint a pretty picture that all is well post 2019 & that people here are celebrating their own collective disempowerment & humiliation. But this time Kashmiris know that everything spoken at Bakshi stadium will be to showcase the so called benefits of illegal abrogation of Article 370 akin to putting salt to their wounds,” Mufti said in a post on X
“This visit is only meant to address & drum support amongst BJPs core constituency in the rest of India for the upcoming parliament elections,” she added while sharing the video of people waiting for a bus.
The leader of another prominent party in Kashmir, National Conference’s (NC) Omar Abdullah, also alleged that participation in PM Modi’s event was compulsory for government employees, and many are being threatened with disciplinary action for not showing up.
“Employees, men, and women in thousands are being asked to assemble between 4:30 am and 5:30 am in the freezing temperatures to be bused to the venue. This participation isn’t optional, it’s compulsory. Employees who don’t show up are being threatened with disciplinary action by their department heads,” the National Conference leader said.
“Tomorrow the godi media and agencies will be gushing about the ‘historic crowd’ gathered to hear PM Modi in Srinagar. What they will conveniently forget to mention is that almost none of the people there will be attending of their own free will. The dictatorial Jammu and Kashmir government has pulled out all stops to give the PM a crowd because the BJP can’t manage anything in J-K without the administration,” Omar Abdullah added.
Lok Sabha elections 2024
The remarks by the PDP and National Conference leaders come as both parties are planning to fight the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on their own with the NC not agreeing to concede any seat for the PDP. The NC has also rejected the INDIA bloc offer to field its candidates in Baramulla and Srinagar while leaving the Anantnag seat for the PDP.
The reports have claimed that the NC is planning to contest all three seats from the Kashmir valley.
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Published: 07 Mar 2024, 05:31 PM IST
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