Omar accuses Mufti of hobnobbing with BJP for power

Fayaz Bukhari

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah addressing a public rally at Shopian on Sunday. -Excelsior/Amin War

Srinagar, Nov 17: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today accused former Chief Minister and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, of hobnobbing with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) for seeking power in the State and disclosed that the National Conference’s alliance with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will continue.
Omar while addressing a public gathering at Kellar in South Kashmir’s Shopian district after inaugurating Rs 5.5 crore Sub-District Hospital, accused Mufti of having hidden contact with BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi to seek power in the State.
He said that deceiving people and duplicity has been the trait of the PDP. “Hidden meetings of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed with the close associates of Lal Krishna Advani and his close contact with Narendra Modi has come to fore exposing the ideology the of PDP”, he alleged.
Omar charged PDP in their bastion of sailing in two boats to seek power but said that their boat will sink due to the weight of its own falsehood. “However, NC’s association with UPA is firm and will continue in future”, he disclosed.
He said that the hidden league between BJP, PDP and Panthers Party was also exposed earlier when they forged alliance during various elections of MLCs in the State.
Omar said that PDP since its inception has been power hungry and astraying people on one or the other issue to realize their target of grabbing power. “I have no personal enmity with the leadership of this party nor I am against their persons but my difference with this party leadership is on principals and on political issues”, he added.
The Chief Minister said that during 2008 Assembly elections, NC fought the election on development issues. “I would not ask the people to give me 40 Assembly seats like Mufti Sayeed said, to resolve Kashmir issue within one year”, he said.
Omar said that he categorically told the people that wining of elections by his party has nothing to do with the resolution of Kashmir issue which is of political nature and requires composite and sustained dialogue between India and Pakistan.
“I am time and again advocating for resolution of all political issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir in a process of dialogue so that peace and tranquillity rules the roost in the State and in the sub-continent”, the Chief Minister said.
Omar said that the youth of the State didn’t take up the guns for seeking construction of roads, bridges, hospitals and other works but they did it for political reasons aimed at political purposes. “Kashmir issue is the political one and requires addressing politically in a non-violent and peaceful process”, he added.
He asked the separatists to be involved in the dialogue process for amicable resolution of political issues. “When you have observed and witnessed that gun has only brought destruction, miseries and economic disaster to the State without any results, there is only one option to you (separatists) to get engaged in dialogue process and address the issue across the table”, he said.
Omar said that during the Chief ministership of Dr Farooq Abdullah the process of dialogue was started with separatists which could not move forward. “I would facilitate the dialogue process telling the Separatists that no prior conditions have been fixed for their dialogue with the Centre as such they could come open heartedly to put forth their point of view regarding the resolution of political issues of Jammu and Kashmir”, he added.
The Chief Minister criticized the PDP for sounding different tones on same issues as per its convenience. He referred to the lifting of restrictions on the public rallies of Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani when the administration was confident that it would not hamper the peace and law and order situation. He said that when restrictions were on Geelani, Opposition party was making hue and cry for lifting of restrictions but when these have been lifted the leadership of opposition is relating it with a conspiracy of the NC.
Omar said that the focus of his Government on upgrading basic amenities and empowering people. He said thousands of big and small development works have been launched, implemented and completed during the past 5 years of and the current year would witness further fillip to these activities.
The Chief Minister said that historic initiatives of Right to Information Act, Public Service Guarantee Act, Accountability Commission and Vigilance Commission have been initiated and implemented to give powers to common people through legislations to scan the functioning of Government and helping in giving good governance.
Omar said that earlier, the legislators could only ask questions to the Government on its performance and that too during the Assembly Sessions but his Government has authorised people to ask questions to the Government throughout the year on its performance. This, he said has revolutionized the system bringing Government before the public scan.
The Chief Minister said that 80 public services have been brought under the ambit of Public Service Guarantee Act so that service delivery of these services would be time bound and the officials responsible for delay in delivering the services would be fined and the affected consumers compensated out of the fined imposed on the officials.