Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 5: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today broke down in the Legislative Assembly over the killing of a youth in firing by the security forces during protests in Baramulla town of the Kashmir Valley and described action on the mob as totally unjustified.
In a brief 16 minutes reply in the Assembly on Motion of Thanks to Governor’s Address this evening, Omar virtually couldn’t speak for a minute but then turned emotional to give brief reply from 5.38 pm to 5.54 pm in which he ordered a probe into the killing and strict punishment to those found guilty but admitted that Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has tied hands of the Government.
A glum faced Omar in emotion choked voice, without naming any one, said many people were getting impatient to get the chair he was sitting but justified the protests and walk-out by the PDP on the issue.
“I have more anger in me but I am bound to the chair. I know how I am speaking. What reply would I give to the people’’? Omar asked as he refused to give reply to the members’ queries raised during marathon debate on Motion of Thanks to Governor’s Address or speak on other issues like he did in the Council saying he was tired and saddened by the incident and won’t be able to speak anything.
“But, we have to convey thanks to Governor (NN Vohra) for his Address. That we would do’’, he said and urged Speaker Mubarak Gul to pass Motion of Thanks on Governor’s Address. The members, sitting in the House, were also stunned by the Chief Minister’s speech and none of them pressed for the amendments. All amendments were withdrawn unanimously and the Speaker passed the Motion of Thanks. The PDP had staged a walk-out in the House before the Chief Minister’s reply.
“A probe would be held into the killing and strict punishment given to those found guilty,’’ Omar said.
In a tweet tonight, the Chief Minister dispelled rumours of his impending resignations saying this could bring the youth back to life, he would resigns.
“Note to those spreading rumours about my impending resignation. I haven’t resigned. If my resignation could bring a person back to life I would resign in a flash. Mr responsibility to the State and people is to ensure that incidents like today’s see justice done’’, he wrote on micro-blogging site tweeter.
Omar also had a tweet for the Opposition PDP.
“Note to PDP—don’t confuse anger and sadness with helplessness. What you saw today was me angry and sad at the tragic loss of life,’’ he said.
Omar said he will seek answers for the killing.
“Today I want answers for those questions, which were raised here (by PDP over the killing and silence of New Delhi). I do not have answers immediately but I will seek answers. Whosoever’s door I have to knock, I will knock. But I will have answers,’’ he said.
Asserting that action on the protesters was unjustified, the Chief Minister assured the youths’ family that a thorough probe will be conducted. “Whatever action is needed from our side, I will take that to ensure justice,” he said.
“If there was misuse of force—I assure you (members of the House) that I will definitely give them justice— otherwise there is no fun of this chair”, Omar said amidst pin drop silence in the House with not only the National Conference-Congress coalition partners but even some of the Opposition members from Jammu, who were present in the House, watching the Chief Minister in a different mood.
Strongly disapproving the action by security forces, the Chief Minister said: “the firing is at the protesting rally— in that rally, as per my reports, there were no militants, there was no firing from the mob.
“Even if they had pelted stones— what is the big thing in it—this is not for the first time—have we not faced stones in the past,” he contended.
The Chief Minister said the walkout by PDP over the issue was justified. “What answers can I give— the questions that these Honorable members (of PDP) asked me— I am posing these questions myself”.
“The members who protested over the incident and staged a walkout from the House have not done anything wrong—I cannot do that— my chair does not allow me to do so—anger which the members gave went to in the House is more in me— I know how I am standing here and talking,” he said.
“What answer will I give to the people— have we for this reasons held the flag of India in our hands— for what I have to apologies to the people every time and every time I have to answer for every bullet (used by the forces)”, Omar said.
On the issue of targeting Chief Minister, Omar said, “somebody is hanged somewhere— the decision is taken by someone else— mercy petition is rejected somewhere else— the incident comes knocking to my house as if I have hanged him (Afzal Guru)”.
He said more people had taken to streets after the execution of Guru but CRPF and police had exercised restraint and handled the situation excepting one place where there were allegations of excess use of force.
“Whenever peace starts returning, some incident takes place. We want benefits of peace to percolate to the people but one incident put the peace on backburner’’, he lamented.
“Mera Kaleja Fat Raha Hai (My heart is bleeding)’’. I’m controlling my emotions with very difficulty. I have become tired. I don’t know what God has in stores for us’’, Omar said and asserted that he can’t throw mikes like Opposition or boycott the proceedings but can only ask for justice.
He regretted that one member said what would have happened had that youth been the Speaker’s son. “What level of politics have we reached. I pray none’s son should have meet that fate’’, he said and charged the PDP with making attempts to grab the chair of the Chief Minister after every incident.
The Chief Minister utilised the occasion to reiterate his demand for withdrawal of AFSPA.
“This is why I am vehemently raising the issue of partial revocation of AFSPA so that the erring forces personnel do not go scot-free”, he said.
“It is easy to say that the Chief Minister of the State is all powerful but only those who sit on this chair can tell you how powerful a Chief Minister of the State is. Let you ask this to (Mufti Sayeed, father of leader of single largest opposition party, Mehbooba Mufti) Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad who have remained Chief Ministers of the State”, he said.
On handing over of Afzal Guru’s body, Omar said the decision in this regard will be taken “somewhere else” and suggested that the State Government has no role in it.
Over the Baramulla firing in which a youth was killed, Omar said, “What was need of the firing. Post Afzal Guru hanging, there were more people on the roads than today. Unfortunately at one place there was misuse of power and one youth fell to the bullets. It should not have happened.”
Targeting PDP, Omar said on his part, he can only raise his voice for justice and cannot “throw mikes”.
He also accused the opposition party of playing politics over Afzal issue.
Pointing out that some Opposition member has described him a daily wager, he said: “I admit we are only daily wagers, our chairs are not permanent, we have to relinquish the offices after completing a fixed tenure so we are, of course, daily wagers and I have no hesitation in accepting it”, he said, adding “if we start calling ourselves as permanent, we would become Raja-Maharajas’’.
Omar said that though these incidents are highly painful and emotion raising but to blame the country, while getting carried away by emotions, is not correct perception of expressing anger.
“Wrong doing by some individuals does not call for blaming the country”, he said.
Omar said he had prepared himself to give full account of the achievements of his Government while replying to debate on Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address. However, he added that he was not in a position to say anything on this subject at present because a precious human life of a young person from the State has been lost and he was engulfed in anger and pain. “I also convey the condolence of this House and that of the people of the State to the bereaved family”, he said assuring them justice. “I cannot bring back the dear one you have lost but my heart bleeds with you and my gloom not less than anyone of you”.
Earlier, trouble erupted in the Assembly when after the end of debate on Motion of Thanks to Governor’s Address, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir responded to the query raised earlier by PDP MLA Rafi Ahmad Mir on the killing of a youth in Baramulla town in Army firing.
Saifullah gave details of the incident, name of the dead and injured and described the incident as unfortunate. He said jawans of 46 Rashtriya Rifles had opened firing on the procession after a duel between troops and civilians.
Within no time, all PDP MLAs besides Independent legislator Engineer Rashid were on their feet. While Rashid trooped near Well of the House, PDP MLA Basharat Bukhari was also close to the Well and took strong exception to mere reading of the statement on killing of the youth.
“This is the height of helplessness. An innocent youth has been killed in the firing. The Minister has just read few lines of statement from a paper. That’s all. Why he was killed? How he was killed? We need answers. Blood of the people is not so cheap that it can be spilled over so easily’’, an agitated Bukhari said even as Minister for Cooperatives and Congress leader Dr Manohar Lal Sharma had heated exchanged with him from his chair.
Bukhari threw his mike from the desks and continued to agitate loudly against the killing while other PDP MLAs including Abdul Rehman Veeri and Peer Mansoor Shah shouted towards the treasury benches for reacting “callously’’ on the killing by just reading a statement from the paper.
As Engineer Rashid continued to shout from Well of the House, Housing Minister and Congress leader Raman Bhalla was on his feet saying he has crossed all limits with his ‘anti-India speeches’’,
“There is a limit to which we can tolerate. Rashid has crossed all limits. We can’t allow all this to go on’’, Mr Bhalla said, adding they too were sad about the incident.
At this stage, Speaker Mubarak Gul ordered the Marshals to immediately remove Rashid from the House. The Marshals took Rashid out of the House while the PDP MLAs including Mehbooba Mufti were on their feet and marched towards front row.
Law Minister Saifullah Mir intervened to say that all of them were saddened with the incident. “No one is happy. Your protests are justified but you just listen to the Chief Minister’’, he said.
Nizam-ud-Din Bhat (PDP) said the Minister should have expressed regrets over the killing. Abdul Rehman Veeri (PDP) said the Government itself should have come out with details of the killing but they reacted only after PDP leader Rafi Ahmad Mir raised the issue in the House.
PDP Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti alleged that there was no value of human life in this Government. Instead, she regretted, the Government has been charging the PDP with playing politics.
Ms Mufti along with all PDP MLAs staged a stormy walk-out in the House.
Talking to reporters outside the Assembly after the Motion of Thanks to Governor’s Address was passed, Mehbooba said the PDP had raised the issue of youth’s killing with a hope that the Chief Minister would respond to it but he gave a chit to the Law Minister to react to the incident.
“The youth has been killed as to if he was a fly. Whether he was a militant? How long would this attitude last?’’ she asked.
Pointing to Omar taking excuse of AFSPA in taking action against the Army jawan, the PDP leader said 120 civilians were killed during 2010 summer unrest in which police personnel were involved. “What action was taken against them’’? she asked and said the action would have served as deterrent.
Ms Mufti said: “if the Chief Minister had the heart of father, he should have replied to the killing’’.
Charging the Chief Minister with compromising on many issues for the sake of power, she said Omar’s speech didn’t matter after the killing of the youth’’.
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