Jammu, April 02 (KNO) : Accusing NC and PDP of leaving Muslim community of Jammu at the mercy of Congress and BJP, AIP President Er Rasheed Tuesday said that both the parties have lost regional character and have no moral authority to claim even to be the regional parties.
While campaigning for party candidate Shahzad Shabnum Deewan in Poonch and Rajouri areas at various places, Er Rasheed as per a statement issued to KNO said that the fact is that as on date no regional voice except AIP is existing on the ground as NC, PDP and PC have either surrendered their conscience or have become concubines of BJP and Congress.
Addressing public gatherings at Mandi, Poonch and other places, Er Rasheed said “one has a right to ask Omer Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti if they could mislead masses by not fielding any candidate on two seats of Jammu province, why could they not enter into alliance in Kashmir. How can something be unholy in Kashmir but much holier in Jammu at the same time.”
He said the regional parties are not interested in protecting the Muslim dominated character of the state, to protect the lives, property, dignity and honor of Jammu Muslims but are trying to play politics of vote Bank to keep both BJP and Congress in good humor.
“The fact of the matter is that Jammu Muslims feel completely isolated, let down and congress and BJP both have become untouchable for them under current circumstances,” he said. Er Rasheed thanked masses for listening him and appealed them to vote for AIP candidate. He also lashed out at successive governments for ignoring the genuine rights of people of Pir Panchal valley.
He asked Mehbooba Mufti and Omer Abdullah to answer if they could not provide connectivity between Mandi Poonch and Kashmir valley which is just having a few kilometers distance between them, how can they claim to be taking care of rights and aspirations of people of Pir Panchal.
“It is a proven fact that both parties have cheated the people of Pir Pnachal region and are feeling scared of asking them to vote for their candidates and have thus preferred to surrender to congress and BJP and have thus lost the regional character,” he added.
Later, talking to media persons on the sidelines of public meet, Er Rasheed rejected the claims that AIP’s candidate will divide the secular votes. “Isn’t it strange that those who claim AIP will divide so called secular votes, the same forces would beg AIP to support for Gh. Nabi Azad in 2015 Rajya Sabha elections,” he said.
He added if these elements praised AIP for ensuring Azad’s victory in Rajya Sabha now why should they feel jealousy and try to chock AIP’s political space in Jammu region. “One should not forget that now when PDP and NC have made a total shameless surrender the need to support and built a genuine regional force arises much more than before to get Muslim community in Jammu out of sense of defeat and AIP is the best and only option to fill the vacuum,” he added.(KNO)