By Bureau Report,Agence India Press,
Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party has said that the National conference is completely disconnected from Kashmir not just politically but culturally and socially as well.
In a statement the party chief spokesperson, Naeem Akhtar said that otherwise government would not have resorted to use of force on Muharram mourners and chosen this time of the year for a festival in the name of culture.
“Holding a cultural festival during the mourning period is an offence to the sensibilities of the people of the state who as a rule have been avoiding any festivities in Muharram” he said.
Akhtar said instead of ensuring amenities like water and power to mourners, it was a travesty that they should be treated with batons, chilies (pepper) and tear smoke. “The condition of roads in the areas of processions is dilapidated, power is cut off and police is the only instrument available with people to respond” he said regretting that a solemn occasion had been made a victim of violence.
He said only a day before even the differently able persons had also become a target of brute force while the government has been in a state of paralysis except for its police. Large funds available for the welfare of the physically challenged persons are vanishing either because of corruption or inefficiency; he said and pointed out that inability of government to access and spend central funds had resulted in suspension of devolution in many centrally sponsored schemes. This, he said had hit the welfare programs as well.
Condemning the indiscriminate use of pepper guns on Asthma patients, elders and infants, the Party accused the government of resorting to inhumane tactics of crowd control under the name of non lethal weapons. The chief spokesman said that people are fed up with the NC led government which has become the most repressive governments in Kashmir’s history that is using every violent tactic to curb dissent triggered by non performance, mis-governance and corruption.
Akhtar said scores of minors continue to be rounded up in Srinagar and other areas of the valley to sustain government’s ‘peace’ obsession. Scenes of teenagers appearing handcuffed in examination centers and courts are common in the valley despite tall claims of the government that they have released all the minors, he added. (AIP News)