Happy to see Maharaja, Dogra rule being praised in LA: Mankotia
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Mar 8: As the discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir’s budget began in the Legislative Assembly today, Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hamid Karra called for unity among all the political parties to request the Centre for early restoration of Statehood.
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He also called the Omar Abdullah’s maiden budget as a Finance Minister as a “lifeline” for the people of J&K as he believed that it focused on multi-sector welfare and development, with an emphasis on economic growth, social welfare, and sustainability.
While the ruling National Conference (NC) leaders praised the Chief Minister for presenting a “balanced budget” under “limited powers”, opposition BJP leaders claimed the budget has nothing except “better managements” and “adjustments”.
During discussions on the budget, Karra said that Statehood should not be seen as the privilege of any single political party but as the right of every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Statehood is not the privilege of any single political entity. It is the right of every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a promise made to us on the floor of Parliament – a pledge we hold sacred,” Karra asserted while addressing the Assembly.
He urged all the political parties to rise above their differences and unite in pushing for the restoration of Statehood by the Centre, stressing that it was essential for the dignity and respect of the people of J&K.
“In respect to this historic mandate, with one resolute voice, we must champion the restoration of Statehood, rising above political divides,” Karra stated.
While reflecting on the budget, Karra welcomed the maiden budget of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, calling it a “lifeline” for the people of J&K.
He highlighted that the budget, which is valued at Rs 1.12 lakh crore, focused on multi-sector welfare and development, with an emphasis on economic growth, social welfare, and sustainability.
“This budget is not just a document; it is about what works for our people,” he added.
Karra also expressed concerns about the previous allocations in the J&K budget, pointing out the disproportionate spending on security forces, which had risen to 30% in 2021-22, while sectors like health and education received a meagre share.
He warned that such budgetary imbalances reflected a misguided approach to governance, especially when security concerns were supposedly on the decline.
On the issue of Kashmiri Pandits’ rehabilitation, Karra emphasized the need for a permanent solution, beyond superficial efforts, to ensure their safe and dignified return.
“The rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits cannot be a mere cosmetic remedy. It must be a permanent solution that ensures their safe, dignified, and rightful return to their homeland,” he said.
He criticised attempts to address their plight through cinema, saying, “Miseries of Kashmiri Pandit community cannot be addressed by making Bollywood movies. If there is normalcy in J&K, the Government must take evident steps for their homecoming.”
In contrast, BJP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia took a different approach, criticizing the budget for being too focused on “better managements” and “adjustments” rather than addressing the region’s real needs.
He praised the absence of discussions about civilian killings or casualties in the budget for the first time in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, calling it a major change in the region post abrogation of Article 370.
“The best thing about this budget is that for the first time, no civilian killing or the number of deceased is being discussed,” Mankotia remarked, referencing the tumultuous period in 2010 during Omar Abdullah’s previous tenure.
“I am also happy that for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, his Dogra Rule, and General Zorawar Singh are being praised in the Legislative Assembly unlike the previous years when the leaders of this house would raise pro-Pakistan slogans,” he said, while targeting NC, PDP, and the leadership of other parties.
He also voiced his concerns about the limited benefits of the free ration scheme, claiming that only a selected group of families would benefit from it.
“CM has been fooling people about providing free ration. Only selected AAY families would get just 5 kg free ration with ceiling for other families,” Mankotia claimed.
Further, Mankotia took on heavily on CM Omar Abdullah and his party’s as well as Congress leaders for their claim that CM cannot deliver under limited powers.
“They were aware of these constraints prior to contesting of the polls. They should not have made promises that are now difficult to fulfil,” Mankotia said.
In his usual combative style, Mankotia underscored that J&K was in a better place now with the “end of gun culture” and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s contribution to improving the region’s infrastructure, particularly roads.
National Conference MLA from Zadibal Assembly Constituency Tanvir Sadiq also spoke at length about the budget, defending its focus on various sectors, including tourism, women empowerment, and rural development.
He particularly praised the Chief Minister for consulting all political stakeholders before presenting the budget, ensuring that it reflected a broader perspective of the region’s needs.
Sadiq also took a shot at the BJP’s claims about the budget being a mere repackaging of central Government schemes.
He countered that these allegations were “absurd,” highlighting that the development of J&K required both Central support and local leadership.
He criticized the BJP for failing to address important local issues, especially the plight of casual labourers and daily wagers, when they were in power and during the LG’s rule.
He also targeted the PDP leaders, claiming his party would deliver both milk and toffees (Doodh Aur Toffees) to the people of J&K.
Sadiq also took a jibe at PC leader Sajjad Gani Lone for criticizing BJP now and praising them merely for the issuance of a passport when he was sharing power with them.
On this, Lone replied, “You denied it (passport) for three years. At least they intervened and provided it to me.”
He also claimed that BJP has been fooling people about the number of AAY beneficiaries of the free electricity scheme claiming their number to be only 1.5-2%.
“This is not true. They are 1 million people,” he said.
NC MLA from Ramban Arjun Singh Raju praised CM’s efforts to initially provide free electricity to BPL families. He said the benefits would be gradually provided to other classes in a phased manner.
He also praised CM Omar Abdullah Cabinet for providing free ride to women and increase of amount under marriage assistance scheme.
He blamed BJP for disempowering people politically and economically.
NC leader Javaid Beigh also weighed in on the discussion, commending Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for presenting a budget under “limited physical and financial autonomy”.
He emphasized the difficult circumstances J&K had inherited over the past 75 years, marked by chaos, political instability, and violence.
Beigh said the absence of political stability had severely hampered the region’s development, and asked how any significant investments or transformation could take place under such conditions.
Beigh also argued that the people of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh were not responsible for the violence in the region, as it was largely instigated by a hostile neighbor.
He expressed the hope that the political instability in the region would subside, paving the way for real progress.
BJP MLA from Ramnagar Assembly segment Dr Sunil Bhardwaj delivered a comprehensive critique of the budget, focusing on what he saw as the Government’s failure to implement a forward-looking vision for J&K’s development.
Bhardwaj accused the Government of mismanaging resources and failing to address critical sectors like unemployment, tourism, and horticulture.
He pointed out that despite substantial central funding, J&K had yet to see meaningful infrastructure development when compared to neighboring states like Himachal Pradesh, which had developed far more roadways and had much higher power generation capacity.
He also raised concerns about the disappearance of grants received from the Central Government and questioned why J&K remained one of the lowest per capita income states despite the influx of funds.
Bhardwaj attributed the stagnation in the region’s economy to decades of misgovernance and personal wealth accumulation under previous regimes.
National Conference MLA from Gurez Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi) echoed concerns about the exploitation of J&K’s resources by the outsiders while claiming that the J&K BJP leaders are celebrating the same.
He accused BJP leadership of benefiting from the region’s resources while failing to ensure the protection of J&K’s interests.
He questioned the BJP’s claims of progress, urging that both the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the leaders, should work together to safeguard the region’s rights.
“Isn’t it our joint duty, cutting across political lines, to appeal to Delhi to protect our interests?” Gurezi asked.
Gurezi also criticized the BJP for solely crediting the Central Government schemes in the budget, claiming who they are made for.
“Centre is as much ours as yours. Centre isn’t paying anything on their own. They are using and exploiting our resources and giving us back. That’s no favour.”
Farooq Shah, another National Conference leader, praised the budget for addressing the needs of all sections of society, particularly women.
He emphasized the budget’s initiatives for women empowerment, free electricity for BPL families, and increased marriage assistance for women.
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