‘Will repeal PSA if party forms Govt’
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Dec 13: Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the National Conference (NC) will take every step to protect the identity and interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah while addressing party workers in Dooru in Anantnag district accused the Centre of taking away the resources and jobs of local people by bringing outsiders in J&K.
“The mineral extraction contracts are given to outsiders…Even the postman who delivers letters will be brought in from other places. Our youth are not deemed fit for these jobs. I would have had no objection to these things but then they should take our youth and give them jobs in Haryana, Punjab, UP and other States. They should allow our contractors to do mining in Punjab. But they won’t do it,” he added.
Abdullah said the NC Government will ensure that the land and the resources of Jammu and Kashmir are reserved for locals only.
The NC vice president said that the NC will repeal the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA) if it forms the government in after the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“They (Centre) have only kept those (old) laws here which can be used to harass people. There is no (Public) Safety Act anywhere in the country…it is only in Jammu and Kashmir. I have said it earlier and I repeat when the National Conference Government comes, on the first day, this law will be repealed.”
Abdullah said the abrogation of Article 370 will be an issue in the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which will be held for the first time after the Centre’s August 2019 move.
“It is obvious that this election will not be contested merely on bijli, sadak, pani (electricity, roads and water). Whatever has happened since August 5, 2019 will be an issue in the elections. Let’s see what the people’s verdict is,” he added.
He alleged that the administration in J&K is not able to carry out even 10 per cent of the work that should have been done. “During our time, we might have been able to get only 70 per cent of the work done, but this administration has failed to get even 10 per cent done,” he added.
On China-India tensions, Abdullah said the two countries should work together to improve their relations.
He, however, said China should also take responsibility for establishing good relations with India.
“We are not able to have good relations with our neighbouring countries. Everyone knows the status of our relations with Pakistan but the relations with China are also not working out. China has not completely gone back from Ladakh and now there are reports of a face-off in Arunachal Pradesh,” Abdullah told reporters at Dooru in Anantnag district.
He said the “Vajpayee policy” on relations with neighbours would be ideal for India.
“I remember the words of (PM Atal Bihari) Vajpayee who used to say ‘we can change friends but not the neighbours’. We cannot change our neighbours but we can improve our relations with them,” Abdullah, who was a Minister of State for External Affairs in the Vajpayee Government,” he said.
He said the onus also lies with China to improve its relations with India.”It takes two to tango. China also has to take responsibility for establishing good relations with our country,” he added.
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