Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday said that people in Jammu and Kashmir have no expectations from the upcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.
The party said it “is disheartening” to see that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have little hope with the PM’s visit.
“The visit of a Prime Minister to a place ignites hopes among the people that their grievances would be redressed and their aspirations, emotions, and feelings would be understood, but people have no expectations of this visit,” PDP Chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said during a press conference in
Srinagar on Tuesday.
“The development of a state is necessary, but that is not the core issue. The aspiration of the people to reach to their hearts and to understand their emotions and feelings to work for them is necessary,” he said.
Bukhari said, “The core issues of Jammu and Kashmir are not limited to the construction of roads, electricity, or water supply, although these are very important needs of the people.”.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have passed through very tough times during the past three decades, and the sole problem is not the development here.
Recalling the day when then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Srinagar, Bukhari said the situation was not conducive here, even though the atmosphere around the sub-continent was “negative” and the relations with India and Pakistan were not normal.
“But like a true statesman, the then Prime Minister Vajpayee extended the hand of friendship to Pakistan and laid the foundation for the restoration of peace from the soil of Kashmir,” Bukhari said, adding that “people feel overwhelmed in their hearts with the initiatives taken by the then Prime Minister after listening to the Vajpayee’s lecture.”.
He said during the visit of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Kashmir, a round table conference was held in New Delhi with the representatives of Kashmir.
“I feel as a Kashmiri that after the abrogation of Article 370, the attitude of the present dispensation with the people of Jammu and Kashmir is not so conducive that a common man could put his hopes on the Prime Minister’s visit,” he said.
He alleged that “the present administration on the issues of the people has shown a different attitude that is not encouraging them that the Prime Minister’s visit will be a beneficial one for them.”.
“Everybody knows what happened with the democratic rights, constitution, and rights of people during the past several years, and it is unfortunate that those who are organising such a big event where common people have put no hopes on it,” Bukhari said.
