Won’t take power unless for people’s peace, prosperity: Mehbooba

Srinagar, Feb 28 (IANS) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presiden, Mehbooba Mufti said on Sunday that her party would not assume the reins of power in Jammu and Kashmir unless it is certain that doing so would bring peace and prosperity to the common man.

Addressing a rally of PDP workers in Anantnag district, she said: "You have trusted my father (Mufti Muhammad Sayeed) with eyes closed; please trust me only with open eyes.

"It would never be my aim to assume the reins of power in the state so that I and my ministers have sirens, flags and cavalcades of pomp and show.

"If I choose to assume power, it would have to be for peace. It would have to be for friendly relations between India and Pakistan which is essential for peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

Noting that "these things are presently threatened", she noted: "Youth are getting disgruntled with the situation and some of them are taking to the gun. This is a serious development."

Citing the recent destruction of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute in a gunfight between militants and security forces, Mehbooba said that there was a "legacy that is being threatened and destroyed".

"The main challenge for my party is not the National Conference or power. It is to ensure continuing the legacy of my late father who would tell me towards the end of his life that he felt sorry for having done very little for the workers who trusted and relentlessly supported him. My challenge is that," she said.

There is intense speculations in Kashmir that a PDP-BJP coalition government would assume power in the state after the union budget which is being presented in parliament on Monday.

These speculations also say the union budget is likely to contain a financial package for the state announcing two smart cities for the state and financial assistance for buying back two hydro power projects from the NHPC.