The opposition Peoples Democratic Party today said paying heed to the separatists' call for poll boycott would benefit National Conference which is counting on it to continue to stay in power, and urged the people to ignore the call.
"Though the separatists have every right to call for boycott of elections, they equally have to think whether it helps the cause of ordinary people who have got trampled and exploited under the cruel politics of National Conference over the years, or not," PDP candidate from Srinagar parliamentary seat Tariq Hameed Karra said.
Karra, a former state finance minister, said the Kashmir issue is not so weak to get diluted with the casting of vote but the boycott will definitely help the NC to "strength the instruments of oppression to unleash terror on people with all impunity".
"Staying home on Election Day means voting for the NC, which has time and again backstabbed the people of Kashmir and have nothing to show by way of performance. Therefore they are exclusively counting on boycott to continue to stay in power," he said at a public meeting in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.
He addressed several rallies at the district today. Karra said the people of Kashmir have "suffered immensely" over the last many decades because of the NC leadership and deserve a system which would take care of them in the most humane manner.
"All that requires that we shall look at the ground realities and understand the pain of people who want to get rid of the NC to pave way for a broader discourse about governance and politics to emerge from here," he said.
He said the PDP has its own idea and agenda about the welfare of people and resolution of the Kashmir issue and believes that in democracy everyone has right to have his opinion.
"We are not against any individual or idea but we want to pursue the cause of our people by our way so that there is end to this uncertainty which has only got disaster in the lives of the masses," Karra said.
