New Delhi hatching conspiracy to turn J-K economically, culturally backward: PCC chief

M Aamir Khan
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, August 20

J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president GA Mir on Thursday alleged that Jammu and Kashmir were being turned ‘economically and culturally backward’ as part of a conspiracy hatched in New Delhi.

“J&K has been turned into a football stadium where different captains come for training. People from the entire world are being brought here but those who are the real residents are troubled. If you look at any sector….be it political or developmental….be it health or tourism….in every manner, J&K is being pushed towards economic blockade. Sources of income are being stopped. First, there was a law and order issue and now Covid-19 has been made an excuse. Youth, traders, hoteliers and daily wagers and those associated with agriculture and horticulture are affected. As part of a planned conspiracy, people of J&K especially Kashmir are being turned backward – economically and culturally as well,” Mir told reporters on the sidelines of a function held here to pay tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 76th birth anniversary.

This was the first major party function held at the JKPCC headquarters, Maulana Azad Road after the abrogation of Article 370 last year on August 5.

“Right from August 4 last year, Congress leaders were placed under house arrest….later we held several meetings but for the first time since we invited the media to the JKPCC headquarter,” said a Congress leader.

Meanwhile, Mir said the Congress had given ‘alert calls’ to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and advised it against allying with the Bharatiya

Janata Party (BJP).

“During the last 12 and half months, people of J&K, especially in Kashmir, have been subjected to lockdown and crackdown from all four sides. The education sector has been destroyed and we cannot see any future for our youth. We will fight tooth and nail till J&K people get justice….we had given alert calls to PDP (but) now there is a direct rule from Delhi. There is a conspiracy to make people weak,” he said.