'Use Your Vote To Question August 5 Decision In Parliament: Mehbooba Mufti

Kulgam: On her way back to Kashmir from Jammu, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti held an election rally on Sunday in South Kashmir's Kulgam district, urging people to understand the significance of the ongoing elections in safeguarding Jammu and Kashmir's core interests and identity.

Addressing the gathering, Mehbooba urged people to recognize the importance of their votes in influencing the country's parliament and to unequivocally express dissent against the decisions made on August 5, 2019. "Vote to make your voices reach the parliament of the country and tell BJP to its face that the decision taken on August 5, 2019, was wrong and has to be revoked at all costs," she said in her address.

Mehbooba alleged that since the abrogation of Article 370, she and her family have faced hardships. "My passport, my daughter's passport, my mother's passport were confiscated. My family was hounded, and even the graveyard of my father was not spared. I was made homeless in the middle of winter without any notice. My own men, who were raised from scratch by my father, backstabbed our party, but I remained firm on my stand because of the earnest and large-scale support of my people across Jammu and Kashmir," Mehbooba said.

She added, "This election is to end the years of suffocation," emphasizing the need to shed light on the ground realities of Jammu and Kashmir post-August 5, 2019. Mufti said, "I want to tell these agencies - who are you to confiscate our lands? This is our state, we are its citizens. You cannot choke us," Mehbooba said.

The PDP President reiterated while speaking to the media on the sidelines of the function that polls for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat must be held as scheduled and should not be delayed. She said these are tactics employed by certain individuals to postpone the polls for their personal benefits. "After a long time, the people here have regained trust in the democratic process and are actively participating in it," she said. Adding, "What do you mean by inclement weather? Where in the country have you heard of polls being delayed due to rain? These are ploys adopted by individuals with vested interests to hinder the electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir," she concluded.