JAMMU: PDP chief and former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah should answer directly to the public on the status of his government’s promises, rather than “responding to every issue by targeting the PDP”.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu, Mufti said the CM frequently invokes the PDP in his public remarks. “Instead of focusing on governance, he repeatedly mentions PDP, just as he did during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections,” she said.
Mufti alleged that key promises made before the elections remain unfulfilled, including commitments on electricity charges, gas cylinder distribution and unemployment. She criticised the government’s stance on smart electricity meters, saying Abdullah had previously opposed them but was now promoting their installation.
She also raised concerns about Kashmir prisoners, claiming the PDP had intervened to assist families. Citing one case, she said, “There is a family with a blind father and a prisoner who is also blind, with young sisters. He has been in jail for 7–8 years without proven crime. We may have to approach the court to seek justice.”
On land and electricity policies, Mufti said people who were earlier promised free electricity were now being categorised as “electricity thieves” for refusing to install meters. She added that residents living on government land for decades were being labelled “land grabbers”. According to Mufti, the PDP had earlier introduced bills to protect the rights of daily wagers and long-term land occupants.
Responding to Abdullah’s allegation that she had signed the first termination orders during the former PDP-BJP coalition, Mufti said, “The CM recently claimed the first signature was mine because I was Chief Minister. What did Omar Sahib do then? He did not raise objections or seek proof.”
Mufti also questioned Abdullah’s administrative outreach, saying he had not addressed issues in his own constituency over the past year, despite visiting areas during by-elections. She alleged that ministers had focused on a single seat while ignoring larger governance concerns.
The PDP chief said her party would continue working on legislative measures to protect the rights of citizens and urged Abdullah to clarify what steps the government has taken in the past year on employment, utility costs, land rights and public services.(AGENCIES)
