Jammu, Mar 04: Regretting the communal politicking over the rape-and-murder of a minor girl in Kuthua and subsequent police probe in the incident, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today cautioned people of Jammu against the designs of some vested elements, who she said, are hell-bent on disturbing peace and harming the communal amity in the region.
Hailing the people of Jammu for upholding the tenets of tolerance, brotherhood and amity, Chief Minister appealed youth to uphold this tradition strictly and carry it forward to be emulated by other societies.
According to a party press release, addressing a PDP youth convention here today, the Chief Minister said through the tough times of past three decades or so the people of Jammu have exhibited maturity and accommodated people from Kashmir, Ladakh and other regions of the State.
She, however, cautioned them against the designs of some vested elements hell-bent on disturbing peace and harming the communal amity of the place. She appealed youth to take the responsibility of maintaining this brotherhood at all levels.
Terming the recent Sunjwan Army camp attack as an “attempt to create a wedge in the communal harmony of Jammu”, the Chief Minister also termed as unfortunate the attempts being made by certain elements to communalise the recent gruesome murder of an eight-year-old girl at Kathua.
She, however, exuded confidence that the people of Jammu would defeat these designs and uphold the rich traditions of amity for which it has earned a name over the years.
Terming youth as a priority of her government, the Chief Minister said both PDP and BJP joined hands to get Jammu & Kashmir out of its miseries besides providing youth a whole lot of opportunities of employment.
She said the youth of the State have got appreciation all around for their wit, intelligence and creativity but unfortunately they have been caught up in an acrimonious situation of violence, and taking them out from it is the prime objective of her government.
Mehbooba Mufti said during the past three years more than 20,000 youth were given jobs by her government through Public Service Commission and SSRB selections besides around 10,000 selections were made in Police department without any complaint of favouritism.
She said as and when she received some complaints in KVIB selections, she, without wasting time, ordered probe to know the truth.
“My government has not and would not do any injustice to you (in selections to government jobs). It is your trust with me. Now nobody has to sell jewellery of her mother, as in the past, to get a government job,” she said while addressing the youth.
Besides, the Chief Minister said, several other initiatives like regularisation of casual workers and other steps were taken to make youth empowered and independent.
She assured the gathering of sympathetically examining the SRO-202 to extend as much benefit to youth as possible.
She said it is her endeavour to promote tourism, industry and other sectors in the State which can provide jobs to youth in bulk.
Similarly, with the start of “mega-projects” she said she would desire the local youth to get a good chunk in terms of employment and engagement.
Mehbooba Mufti appealed youth to work for maintaining peace and communal harmony in the State, as a consequence of which the developmental promise of the present government would be fulfilled.
PDP vice-president Muhammad Sartaj Madni also addressed the convention and asked the youth to strengthen the party at grassroot levels. He termed the young members as the ambassadors of party’s “agenda for reconciliation and development”.
Ministers Choudhary Zulfkar and Moulvi Imran Ansari; MLA Yawar Mir; former minister, Mehboob Beigh; president, Youth Wing, Waheed ur Rehman Parra and other youth leaders also addressed the youth convention.
MLA, Anjum Fazili; vice-chairmen of Gujjar & Bakerwal and Scheduled Castes Board were also present on the occasion.
