Jammu 24, December (KNS): The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Additional General Secretary Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday expressed gratitude to the people of Pir Panchal and Chenab regions for supporting PAGD candidates in the DDC elections saying results reveal resounding support for Dr. Farooq Abdullah led PAGD across J&K.

In a statement issued to news agency-kashmir news service (KNS), Thanking the people of Jammu division including Pir Panjal and Chenab areas for their overwhelming support to PAGD candidates in the DDC elections, Party’s Additional General Secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal said the results have made it clear that the measures undertaken by GOI on 5th of August have not fared well in any region of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the resounding support for PAGD revealed the mass concurrence to the agenda of PAGD by the people of J&K. “It is perhaps for the first time in the post independence history of India that mainstream political parties were not allowed to canvas during elections. Yet our workers managed to reach out to people without any support from administration. It is perhaps for the first time also in the post independent history of our country that administration worked to benefit a particular political party. Despite all the hitches and glitches and the enticements, people came out in large numbers and voted for PAGD. The victory of PAGD speaks volumes, on one hand it reveals how politically aware our people are, and on the other hand it reveals their rejection for the unilateral and unconstitutional measures of August 5, 2019. It was BJP that had made the entire local body election look like a referendum for August 5th policy. Now that the results are out, the ruling BJP should read the writing on the wall and restore the pre august 5 position,” he said.

The results, Dr Kamal said, have debunked the propaganda of BJP that PAGD was a regional and communal platform. The support the PAGD has got from mainland Jammu is a case in point, he said adding, “The victory also attains significance in face of the unsupportive administration and witch-hunting of the constituent parties of the PAGD. The immense support for the PAGD in Jammu is yet another major takeaway of these elections that reveal how widely people across J&k attest to the programme of PAGD. The success assumes more significance in the face of the smear campaign against the PAGD leadership; people across J&k have renounced the misinformation crusade out rightly,” he said (KNS).