Thaindian News

Jammu, May 24 (IANS) In a scathing attack on the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party Tuesday said that time has come to “weed out the party set up by grandfathers and dominated by sons and grandsons”.

In a clear reference to the domination of the National Conference by the Abdullah family - Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who founded the party, his son Farooq Abdullah and grandson Omar Abdullah - PDP president Mehbooba Mufti told a public meeting here that “this party has outlived its utility.”

“The family has monopolised power politics and it is high time that a re-assessment of the political parties is made in Jammu and Kashmir,” Mehbooba Mufti said.

She highlighted all the “good points” of her party and the “benefits that flowed to the people during our rule.”

The PDP ruled the state from 2002 to 2005 in alliance with the Congress.

She said the people have dumped traditional parties in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, and it is now the turn of the “people of Jammu and Kashmir to repeat the same feat.”

“The National Conference is party of the past and the people, especially youth, must look forward to new ideas and new politics which can be delivered,” she said.

“The current elections to the panchayats have fortunately remained immune to the ‘traditional management’,” she said.

Mehbooba added: “This should be an eye opener. It has resulted in a near total rout of the National Conference with opposition backed candidates sweeping the polls, which were held on non-party basis only to hide the embarrassment of the National Conference.”