Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (PC) chairman Sajad Lone on Thursday urged people to empower and accord dignity and respect to pro-election political parties in J&K who were labelled as ‘traitors’.
Alluding to the BJP-led central government and the non-local administration within the J&K, Lone said the people of J&K are currently powerless and that till the time pro-election political parties are made powerful they will not stop or change their policies for the region.
The PC chief claimed that the people of J&K have never seen tough times like this since 1947 because mainstream political parties had acted as a shield and saved people from several problems and issues.
Lone was speaking during a brief ceremony at his official residence in Srinagar during which former J&K Bank chairman Parvez Ahmad Nengroo –– who faces corruption charges and was arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau earlier this year –– joined the party.
“This is a good time for the people of J&K, including the media, to introspect why these mainstream politicians were labelled as traitors and were abused all the time,” Lone said, while referring to a query regarding the termi ..
Lone was speaking during a brief ceremony at his official residence in Srinagar during which former J&K Bank chairman Parvez Ahmad Nengroo –– who faces corruption charges and was arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau earlier this year –– joined the party.
“This is a good time for the people of J&K, including the media, to introspect why these mainstream politicians were labelled as traitors and were abused all the time,” Lone said, while referring to a query regarding the termination of at least 23 government employees by the J&K administration without any inquiry.
“These ‘traitors’ acted as the shield, who saved you from this onslaught…this shield was disrespected and abused…The issues confronting the people of Jammu and Kashmir on multiple fronts will continue unless and until mainstream parties are not allowed to thrive again and given the respect they demand,” Lone warned.
It is unfortunate that those calling the shots now have no bonding with J&K and its people and are alien to its ground reality, he said.
“I am not asking to make me powerful…let it be somebody from Jammu but this whole region should be empowered…Outsiders will always act like this…they have no stakeholding here…if we go out we will also act in the same manner,” said Lone adding, “you can’t invent a stake, it is natural and cannot be manufactured.”
The PC chief said that the J&K administration did not pay heed to the demands of people of Jammu, who observed an unprecedented shutdown on Wednesday. “I didn’t see any compassionate statement or appeal from the administration for the people of Jammu,” Lone said.
Meanwhile, Nengroo claimed that he wishes to contribute in creating inclusive political and economic institutions by working within the PC. “We are facing enormous challenges both politically and economically and it is time that we look for collective and institutional solutions to ensure sustainable socio-economic growth and development in J&K,” said Nengroo.