PDP leaders defer meeting with Mehbooba
Jammu delegation meets Farooq, Omar
Sanjeev Pargal/Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Oct 6: The National Conference today dropped enough hints that it wasn’t in a position to contest elections to the Block Development Councils (BDCs) as its top leaders who have to decide and sign the mandate continued to be under arrest while the PDP, in a late night political development, announced that its 18-member delegation which was scheduled to meet party president Mehbooba Mufti at Chashma Shahi in Srinagar tomorrow, has put off the visit.
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Though the PDP leader Ved Mahajan who had to lead the party delegation didn’t give any reasons for deferring visit of the party delegation to Srinagar tomorrow on the lines of National Conference whose leaders met party president Dr Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah today, sources said the PDP too was unlikely to contest the BDC elections in view of prevailing situation in the State.
“PDP leaders felt that Centre by allowing parties to meet arrested leaders is trying to give an impression of normalcy in Kashmir. This would prove fatal in view of the current situation especially when people are suffering at the ground level,” the party insiders said.
Fifteen National Conference leaders led by Devender Singh Rana, party’s provincial president had 27-minute meeting with Farooq at his Gupkar Road residence and 50-minute talks with Omar at Hari Niwas, where the two have been kept under arrest since August 5 when the Centre announced abrogation of special Constitutional provisions of the State and its bifurcation into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
“Mandate for the BDC candidates has to be proposed by our general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar who is under arrest at SKICC Srinagar and finalized by party president Dr Farooq Abdullah who has been booked under PSA and kept under house arrest at his Gupkar Road residence. Under such circumstances, it’s not even feasible for the NC to contest elections,” insiders in the NC said.
Further, they said, the NC has procedure for finalization of candidates for the BDC elections with names being proposed from the block level followed by endorsement from district and province level before reaching the general secretary. Even this exercise hasn’t been initiated so far as all prominent provincial leaders of Jammu were under arrest till October 3 while senior leaders of Kashmir province are still under arrest and only three days have been left for filing of nomination papers with October 9 being last date, they added.
In such a situation, the NC leaders averred, even if they had to contest the elections, they can’t unless the senior leaders who had to finalize and sign the mandate are released.
The PDP, according to sources, was also likely to stay away from the BDC elections.
Meanwhile, 18 PDP leaders who were given permission by the Government today for meeting with party president Mehbooba Mufti at Chashma Shahi Guest House in Srinagar, where she has been kept under house arrest since August 5 at 11 am tomorrow, deferred their visit tonight.
Party leader and former MLC Ved Mahajan, who was scheduled to lead the delegation, told the Excelsior late tonight that the visit has been put off. He gave no reasons for the decision.
During the day, the PDP released names of 18 leaders from Jammu region, who were permitted by the Government to meet Mehbooba. The PDP leaders wanted to discuss political situation with Mehbooba, the roadmap ahead and take decision on the BDC elections which were scheduled to be held on October 24.
However, there were indications from the PDP camp that the party might stay away from the BDC elections.
The PDP leaders whose names had been cleared by the Government for meeting with Mehbooba tomorrow included Ved Mahajan, Tarlok Singh Bajwa, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, Choudhary Qamar, Shah Mohammad Tantray, MR Qureshi, Firdous Tak, Iqbal Qazmi, Fallail Singh, Maroof Khan, Shamim Dar, Riyaz Alish, Sukhvinder Singh, Hussain Ali Wafa, Varinder Singh, Baldev Singh, Rajinder Manhas, Surinder Choudhary and Hameed Choudhary.
Meanwhile, a delegation of National Conference leaders of Jammu province who were released from detention earlier this week today met party president Dr Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah first time since they were detained early August in Srinagar today.
The delegation led by Devender Singh Rana and comprising Javed Rana, Trilochan Singh Wazir, Surjit Singh Slathia, Dr Chaman Lal Bhagat, Ajay Sadhotra, Rattan Lal Gupta, Rashpal Singh, Sajjad Kitchloo, Mushtaq Bukhari, Ram Pal, Aijaz Jan, Kashmira Singh and Brij Mohan Sharma, arrived here this morning and met Dr Farooq Abdullah at his Gupkar residence.
They were accompanied by two NC MPs Hasnain Masoodi and Mohammad Akbar Lone. The meeting lasted for 27 minutes during which the leaders discussed the situation arising after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution.
Earlier the delegation leaders met Omar Abdullah at Hari Niwas where he has been jailed for last over two months. The meeting lasted for 50 minutes during which the current situation was discussed.
Later while speaking to reporters, Rana said Abdullahs are pained by the developments that have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir since August.
“We are happy that they are both well. Of course they are pained and anguished about the developments, particularly the lockdown of people and we as a party appeal for the political process to start and the democracy revive in Jammu and Kashmir”, Rana said.
He said that after release of all the political leaders a political process can be started to win hearts and minds of people. “The political detunes anywhere and everywhere whether from the mainstream parties or otherwise who have no criminal record may be released to initiate the process and the hearts and the minds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are won”, he said.
“So far as the National Conference is concerned, it has a legacy, history and a track record and it (party) will strive for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and shall continue to work for communal harmony, brotherhood, togetherness and keep the secular fabric of Jammu and Kashmir shining as ever”, he said.
Rana said that the political process can be started only once the leaders are released. “There is complete lockdown, all the members of the political parties are jailed and if the process is to start these people must be released,” he said.
The NC leader said that the future strategy of the party will be discussed in the working committee meeting. “Let the detained leaders be released and after that the working committee of the party will meet; we will all meet together and discuss and formulate a strategy for the future”, he said.
On Block Development Council elections, Masoodi said that unless political leaders are released, the exercise is futile. “We demand that not only the leaders who belong to our party, but those belonging to any political party must be released. When everybody is out, then we will sit together and only then we will be able to decide on the future course of action. As of now, elections are bereft of meaning; there is no meaning in conducting the process. Unless and until the political leadership is not out of detentions, exercises such as this are useless”, he said.
He ruled out any possibility of democratic process under present circumstances. “You see people have shut their businesses and daily routines without any call (strike); schools are shut so are universities and colleges; public transport is off the roads, rail services are shut; there is no connectivity and there is total information blockade. As of now there is no question of any democratic process and give the atmosphere that is around the BDC elections seem irrelevant”, he said.
Another NC MP, Lone said: “We had come to inquire about their health and that was sole reason. We will be talking about the issue of 370 only when the entire leadership is out only then we can sit and formulate a strategy for the future course of action.”
The six members of the delegation including Devender Singh Rana, Javed Rana, Trilochan Singh Wazir, SS Slathia and Dr Chaman Lal Bhagat left for Jammu after meeting the Abdullahs. The other nine members of the delegation are in Circuit House and are scheduled to leave for Jammu tomorrow.
Omar supports beard, clicks selfies; Farooq appears at roof
Both senior National Conference leaders, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah are hale and hearty and in high spirits, the party leaders from Jammu region who called on them in Srinagar today, said.
“Both are well. They are in high spirits. Omar has, however, started supporting beard,” they said.
As usual, Omar freely met all 15 leaders and inter-acted with each of them. He even clicked selfies with them on his mobile phone, they added.
Farooq Abdullah joined by his wife Moily made a brief appearance at roof of his house along with the party delegation and waved at the media persons, who had gathered outside his Gupkar Road residence. This was his first appearance since his detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
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