PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who released the manifesto, threw her weight behind INDIA bloc partners — Congress and National Conference
Hardening its stand, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) manifesto on Saturday (August 24, 2024) put the resolution of the Kashmir issue, resumption of India-Pakistan dialogue, revocation of laws like the Public Safety Act (PSA), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Enemy Property Act, along with the restoration of freedom of the press at the top of the agenda.
PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who released the manifesto, ruled out any possibility of an alliance with the BJP in the future and instead threw her weight behind the INDIA bloc partners, the Congress and the National Conference (NC). “Power and seats don’t matter to the PDP. Our party will support the NC-Congress alliance if they accept our agenda,” Ms. Mufti said.
The agenda, compared to the past, has used tough language for the BJP’s move to end J&K’s special status in 2019. “The events of August 5, 2019, mark a profound assault on this idea. The Government of India, through an unconstitutional and illegal Presidential Order, stripped J&K of its special status under Article 370 and bifurcated the State into two Union Territories. This act of parliamentarian aggression was designed to erode the demographic and cultural character of India’s only Muslim-majority state,” the manifesto said.
Claiming the revocation of special status has “further complicated the Kashmir issue and deepened the alienation in the region”, the manifesto sharpens its focus on the party’s “unwavering commitment” to resolve the Kashmir issue. “Recognising it (resolution) as the cornerstone for lifting the people of J&K out of the persistent cycle of violence and unrest,” it said.
Referring to the political approach of former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, the party manifesto said it firmly believed that a meaningful engagement is the only way forward. “Will advocate for diplomatic initiatives between India and Pakistan, emphasise on conflict resolution, confidence-building measures and regional cooperation,” it said.
Cross-LoC trade
The PDP reiterated its past stand for “establishing full connectivity across the Line of Control (LoC) for trade and social exchange and advocate for a regional free trade area and shared economic market”.
On the governance front, the PDP promised regularisation of 60,000 daily wagers, Old Pension Scheme (OPS), disturbed area allowance for J&K Police, etc.
Kashmiri Pandits
“We are committed to the dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland, ensuring they are welcomed back as honoured members of our community. We will strive for taking all the stakeholders on board to secure a closure to the humanitarian crises. This is not just a return, but a restoration of the cultural and spiritual essence of Kashmir,” Ms. Mufti said.
The PDP manifesto also put a spotlight on freedom of the press. “In an era where journalists face unprecedented repression and threats to their autonomy, we will prioritise the protection of press freedoms. We will restore autonomy and dignity of the press club and revisit the policy of selective curtailment of advertisement to newspapers by the current regime,” it added.
“Our party will give free electricity up to 200 units and abolish the tax on water. For the poor, who have one to six family members, the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed scheme will be again introduced to increase rice and ration quotas. We will also give 12 cylinders per year to the poor,” the former CM said. Source
