No difference between L-G and NC rule: Mehbooba Mufti

Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir), April 20 (IANS) PDP President and former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday slammed the National Conference government, saying that there seems to be no difference between the L-G Manoj Sinha-led administration and the Omar Abdullah-led popular government, "as people continue to suffer like they did before the October 2024 elections".

"NC had promised the sky to the people. They said they will provide 12 free gas cylinders, 200 free units of electricity and lakhs of jobs to the unemployed," Mehbooba Mufti said.

However, local government employees are still thrown out of jobs, while raids against the locals by the security agencies are continuing, she said.

“Many have been arrested, and passports are being deliberately held for the locals. Omar Abdullah is leading a popular government, but it doesn’t seem so. There seems to be no difference between L-G and NC’s rule in Kashmir," the PDP chief said.

Reacting to the Waqf Act, Mehbooba Mufti said that J&K, being a Muslim majority state, the Assembly should have passed a resolution against the Act.

"We regret that at this time, important issues have emerged, and the Waqf Act is a very significant one. We expected that, as a Muslim-majority state, our Assembly would be the first to pass a resolution opposing this bill. I feel very disappointed by the way Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah were seen walking with the minister who introduced the bill, instead of opposing it," she said.

On April 7, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met at Asia’s largest Tulip Garden following the passing of the Waqf Bill by both Houses of Parliament.

The meeting triggered a political storm with opposition parties dubbing it as “Waqf law bonhomie”.

Omar Abdullah was accompanied by his father and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who had expressed a wish to visit the Tulip Garden, which was in full bloom at the time.

--IANS

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