SRINAGAR: Strongly disapproving the continued imposition of curfew, harsh restrictions and brute force, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Saturday said the government is punishing everybody in the state for its own incompetence and atrocities.
In a statement party president, Mehbooba Mufti alleged the mass imprisonment of people and unleashing of force to punish peaceful mourners and protestors has become a standard practice for the government, while it continues to generate anger and cynicism against the system in which it claims to be functioning. Afzal Gurus hanging, Sonawari killings and before them the 2010 murders on the streets of Kashmir all followed the same pattern, she said.
Mehbooba said the state govt and its political leadership has completely abdicated its responsibilities and given the charge of its survival and silencing of people to police. She said it is mockery of a democratic system that the people have been threatened with continued curfew and restrictions as response to the call for protests. What is the use of having a political government at a huge cost if the lives of people are to be regulated by police? Could such an arrogant conduct be even imagined anywhere else in the country? she wondered.
The PDP president said on the one hand the govt is tight-lipped on the happenings in Gool on Thursday and on the other it is paying just lip service to the victims which is reflected in the passing of a condemnation resolution by the state cabinet. She said the state government is expected to act and punish the culprits rather than try to be on the other side of the fence and join the victims in their helplessness. Such a government is a blot on the history of state. Mehbooba said the iron wall erected around every house in the state to prevent people from coming out is no solution to the situation created by it.
Situation is a direct result of coalition governments complete dependence on police and security forces after its failure on every other front of governance. Range and scale of protests from Ladakh to Jammu region should serve as an alarm for the state and the central governments run by the UPA constituents about the deterioration they have brought about in the state, Mehbooba said. Instead of taking note of the sentiments of the people in the wake of the Gool atrocities, the chief minister has intervened only to correct the casualty number forgetting in the process that the large number of injured persons who have suffered bullet injuries but somehow survived. Condemning the politicization of even the response to the killings Mehbooba said a high level delegation of the PDP led by its general secretary Thakur Balbir Singh was intercepted and not allowed to proceed to Gool. Other political leaders have been arrested or imprisoned in their homes. This is being done while ruling politicians are free to move in the area. Our delegation was going only to visit the families of the victims and convey the partys condolences but the govt is feeling threatened even by such routine gestures of sympathy from opposition parties, Mehbooba said.
She said there were reports of highhandedness of police and security forces from various areas of the state and people were prevented from offering prayers in the holy month of Ramzan.
On Friday while main mosques remained sealed in Ganderbal, the constituency represented by the chief minister were prevented from using microphones even for Azan, she claimed.