Shopian: Former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party chief, Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday said that BJP was unnerved over the PAGD’s decision of joining the DDC poll fray and the alliance candidates “are barred from campaigning” in south Kashmir for the same reason.

Talking to reporters at Zainapora in south Kashmir’s Shopian, the PDP chief said that she had gone there to meet the PAGD candidate who, she alleged, was not allowed to come out of his house for the past 15 days. The former CM accused LG Manoj Sinha and SEC KK Sharma of “making false claims that every candidate is allowed to go for campaigning”.
“That’s why today I came here myself to tell people of Zainapora and Shopian to vote for only PAGD candidates so that BJP is kept away,” Mehbooba said. She said that PAGD candidates will work hard for the J&K’s identity that was “stolen on August 5, 2019.”

“They (BJP) will use grenades and guns to bag seats, but people should defeat BJP this time and ensure victory of PAGD candidates,” she said, adding that centre was of the belief that parties like National Conference, PDP, Peoples Conference and CPI(M) won’t participate in DDC polls so that they can ensure the victory of their candidates through “backdoor channels.”

Asked about the name of former PDP leader Haseeb Drabu surfacing among the 900 people who have allegedly grabbed land under Roshni “scam”, the PDP president said that BJP is “using ploys to divert attention”.
“At times, it uses DC to summon Farooq Abdullah and now Roshni Scam is a new ploy. If I would be found involved in Roshni Scam, I will be the first person to choose jail,” she said. (KNO)

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