Full support to any decision taken by Omar: Farooq
Reservations in NC over tie-up with Cong: Omar
Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Jan 28: Despite tough posturing by its alliance partner National Conference, the Congress leadership has refused to budge from its public stand on the issue of administrative units and supported the comprehensive exercise undertaken by Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC), which had been given the mandate to make suitable recommendations in this context.
The Central leadership of the Congress party at a high level meeting in New Delhi today also fully endorsed the stand taken by the State’s leadership over the controversial issue.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that the meeting was attended by Congress in charge for J&K Affairs, Ambika Soni, Union Minister for Health, Ghulam Nabi Azad and JKPCC (I) chief Prof. Saif-ud-Din Soz.
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah also had detailed deliberations with Union Minister for Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdullah and discussed the latest political situation in the State.
The Congress party meeting, which started at 7.30 pm and ended at 9.15 pm at the residence of Ambika Soni was also attended by Chairman of the CSC on administrative units, Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand; Minister for Urban Development and Local Bodies Nawang Rigzin Jora and Minister for PHE and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma (all from Congress) and Agriculture Minister, Ghulam Hassan Mir of JKDPN.
Sources said that there was complete unanimity among the participants of the meeting that the final recommendations of the CSC should cover all the areas of the State and no area should remain unrepresented.
“The mandate of the newly constituted CSC was more comprehensive than the erstwhile Ganai Committee as its members had visited most of the districts and held one-to-one interactions with people. Ganai Committee was only an official level Committee, which had failed to meet aspirations of people from all regions”, the leaders opined.
Over the ‘last’ deadline set by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah regarding the submission of final recommendations, sources said, “there were categorical instruction from the party high command that the report be submitted within the stipulated time-frame”.
The Mushtaq Ganai Committee had recommended 700 new administrative units but the figure may go up to 2000 or even more after the submission of this report, sources asserted.
“The State Government had acted as facilitator for the tours of CSC to various district headquarters and even the Committee comprised three members from National Conference — Minister for Planning & Development and Labour & Employment Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Higher Education Mohammad Akbar Lone and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliament, Mir Saifullah. Therefore, the Government shouldn’t hesitate from accepting these recommendations, when submitted by the CSC”, the leaders stated.
“Reports by a New Delhi based News Agency regarding the possibility of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah’s resignation didn’t find any mention in the meeting”, sources asserted.
Contesting claims of some leader of alliance who are blaming Congress for delay on constitution of administrative units, former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad told EXCELSIOR from New Delhi, “Congress party believe in empowerment of people and formation of administrative units is a decision in that direction. I had myself initiated this process in Jammu and Kashmir as its Chief Minister and we as a party are fully supportive of any such initiative”, adding, “it was under my stewardship that the State got four new districts each in Jammu and Kashmir regions”.
“We are not only supportive but over-supportive of the proposal for constitution of new administrative units and we don’t want any area to be left out”, he added.
Commenting on the validity of Ganai Committee, Mr Azad elaborated, “the said Committee had failed to study the micro-distribution of administrative units and missed on several fronts. Several areas of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh region had remained unrepresented and these shortcomings were overcome by the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by the Deputy Chief Minister”.
Over the issuance of deadline by Chief Minister regarding submission of report, Mr Azad said, “we have given categorical instructions to our Ministers, who are members of the Sub-Committee to submit the report by deadline. The CSC had done tremendous job by visiting most of the district headquarters of the State and it comprised both NC and Congress Ministers”.
“Such Committees take time as they have to do justice to all representations submitted before them. I am 100 percent sure that the CSC will meet aspirations of people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and provide a comprehensive report”, said the Union Health Minister.
Union Minister for Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abdullah when asked about his meeting with Chief Minister said, “we had discussed the issues confronting the coalition Government and also touched upon the political situation in the State. After meeting, Omar had to rush to the summer capital for some urgent work”.
Asked about the tough posturing by Chief Minister, the NC patriarch said, “Omar is our leader and we shall stand by his decision in all situations”.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that there are some reservations in his party (National Conference) about fighting elections together with the Congress.
Talking about the pre-poll alliance with Congress, the Chief Minister, in a TV interview, said that it was under discussion. “There are reservations in my party about fighting elections together with the Congress and there are sections in the Congress that would rather go it alone, he said.
“Both Congress and National Conference have a presence in the 3 regions of the State. If we start giving seats to them we start to lose our identity in those seats, and what is the guarantee that votes will be transferred from Congress to the NC and vice versa,” Omar elaborated.
Stating that he will discuss the Pathribal case closure issue with Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh when he will be visiting Jammu early next month, Omar said “We are expecting the Prime Minister in State early next month; it is an issue I will be discussing with him. The Army has said they don’t have enough evidence to proceed with a court martial and my understanding is that the CBI had found enough evidence. I am more likely to accept what they have to say than anybody else,” Omar said.
Answering a question, Omar said, “people might think you need to do an Arvind Kejriwal and sit on the street, but what happened. Arvind Kejriwal did a dharna for the Delhi Police what did he end up with, two policemen sent on paid leave. There are ways to take this argument forward we have done our best to convince Government of India about the logic of our argument about AFSPA.”
Answering another question, Omar said that Chief Ministers are not put in office for dharna’s. “They are put in office to work with the Government to try to resolve issues that is what he is going to have to do,” Omar said adding “can the Jammu and Kashmir CM hold a dharna outside the Ministry of Defence? Would the media cover that equally positively?”
Reliable sources also said that Union Minister, Farooq Abdullah has also asked the Chief Minister to come to New Delhi soon for further discussions on the subject.
Another senior NC leader, while reacting to the political developments stated that the party fully backed the initiative of the Chief Minister and will to go any extent to support his stand on the issue of administrative units.
“The Chief Minister is willing to go to any extent, if our alliance partner creates any hurdles in the decision for constitution of new administrative units. He has also made it clear that Government has the political will to implement the decision, even if the CSC doesn’t submit its recommendations in time”, he asserted.
Meanwhile, all the Congress leaders including three Ministers, who are members of Sub-Committee and Deputy Chief Minister, who is also Chairman, shall be reaching Jammu by 8.40 am flight of Spice Jet.
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