Srinagar: National Conference Vice President and former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday asked the PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to render the accounts of her coalition rule in the state instead of threatening Delhi and blaming others for the failures of her own regime.
Omar, while addressing a meeting of the Provincial Committee at the party headquarters at Nawai-subuh complex Srinagar, said, “Today Mehbooba ji claims of her fight for protection of Article 370 and Article 35-A but can she explain reasons for imposing GST and SARFAESI Act which weakened special status of the state. She was not able to resist even a single decision she was asked to take by the central government.”
Asking Mehbooba for reasons for her silence over the conduct of CASOs (Cordon and Search Operations) against militants and the killing of civilians, Omar said, “Hardly any day would have passed when we won’t have heard about the killings in one or the other part of Kashmir valley. A professor from Kashmir University joined militant ranks and so did a Kashmiri research scholar of Aligarh Muslim University but Mehbooba never thought to dig out the roots of change in the mindset of youth even after seeing some army men and SPOs running away with rifles to join militant ranks.”
Charging the Mehbooba government of deepening the alienation in Kashmir through unpopular methods of curbing dissenting voices in Kashmir Omar said, “NIA raided people irrespective of political affiliations without having critical evidence in hand and charge sheeted people at its own views and wishes but Mehbooba ji choose to keep mum as she was interested in power.”
Claiming nowhere in Jammu and Kashmir people felt let down by the fall of PDP-BJP coalition government, Omar pointed out, “Till yesterday Mehbooba was a nationalist for BJP but today BJP members in Jammu are burning the effigies of Mehbooba Mufti and similarly till yesterday Mehbooba was satisfied with the working of the alliance with BJP but today she is threatening Delhi over any attempt to split PDP. Let me make it clear to Mehbooba Mufti that if PDP splits not even a single youth will take to militancy in revolt against the split in PDP.”
Asking Governor to take measures for restoring the situation to the level of 2014 like position, Omar said, “We learnt lessons from mistakes we committed in 2010 and restored normalcy. We had four years of normal activity in Kashmir valley before 2014 devastating floods destroyed most of the infrastructural facilities and residential houses of the people in Kashmir valley. We had demanded imposition of Governor’s rule for few months to carry out the relief operations for flooded populations in the state but the other parties including PDP, BJP, National Panthers party and others didn’t agree to it. Elections were held and new government was in place. Under leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed the PDP-BJP government ordered the release of Masarat Alam but where is Masarat Alam now. Not to talk of releasing other political detenues, dozens of others were arrested, taken to Delhi and charge sheeted by NIA. Unfortunately Mehbooba does not regret for the Himalayan failures of her government and instead blames National Conference for the situation in Kashmir.”
(With inputs from KNS)
