Fayaz Bukhari

Srinagar, Nov 27: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that his party won’t shake hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unless and until it changes its policy towards Jammu and Kashmir and on other issues.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an election rally in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, Omar said that his party won’t shake hands with BJP unless and until they promise resolution of Jammu and Kashmir issue peacefully through dialogue.
Chief Minister said that it is out of question to support BJP unless and until it accepts Jammu and Kashmir’s flag, Article 370 and resolves Ramjanambohmi Babri Masjid issue and gives up Common Civil Code issue.
Omar said that his Government’s sustained campaign for the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) forced Army and Central Government for fast track inquiry into Budgam killings and lifer to Army personnel found guilty in Macchil fake encounter case.
Omar charged BJP of double speak on Article 370. “BJP has double speak on Article 370. In Jammu they say one thing and in Kashmir the other. In Jammu they say, we will abrogate Article 370 and in Srinagar they talk of resorting to arms if the article is abrogated”, he said.
Chief Minister said that he fails to understand how BJP speaks differently on the issue of AFSPA and Article 370 in three regions of the State. “On AFSPA they say in Srinagar that it is for the benefit of the people and I fail to understand how it is beneficial for the people. BJP’s biggest problem is that the party talk differently in three regions. In Ladakh they talk of Union Territory, in Kashmir they talk of saving Article 370 and in Jammu they talk of abrogation of Article 370. This is BJP’s contradiction”, he said.
Earlier in his address to the election rallies at Noorabad and Homeshalibug in Kulgam district of South Kashmir, Omar said that his party is the bulwark of State’s political individuality and dignity. He asked the BJP to try to acquaint itself with the glorious history of State’s political struggle against autocracy, tyranny and suppression.
Chief Minister said that the NC is committed to its political agenda of seeking the restoration of internal autonomy, safeguarding Article 370 and the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from J&K.
“A slew of BJP leaders and RSS ideologues are bee lining into J&K and announcing their plans to hold closed-door meetings for their purported Mission 44 plus”, said Omar.
Chief Minister also spoke about NC’s “relentless struggle” to get AFSPA removed from the State. He said that his party would continue to strive for the revocation of an Act that has no place in a violence-free, modern and civilized society that has made a spirited recovery from a prolonged political turmoil.
“We don’t treat the Kashmir issue as a matter of electioneering or politicking like our opponents do. We have always – both in opposition and while in power – advocated the acceptable resolution of the Kashmir issue according to the aspirations of our people and we will continue to do that as much as BJP turns down our political demands”, Omar said.
Chief Minister said that he has never and will never seek votes for the resolution of the Kashmir issue but will rather continue to strive for it on a sustained basis irrespective of electoral politics. “We have delivered a historic, transparent and landmark tenure of good-governance, employment generation, fiscal growth and infrastructure creation in a State that had been ravaged by political instability and uncertainty”, he said.
He said that the high turnout in the first phase of elections is very encouraging and indicated that the people of the State would not be bystanders while plans would be hatched to dis-empower and bypass them in choosing their representatives.
“I am certain that the turnout will be even more in the remaining phases of this election and I have no doubt in my mind that the State has decided to put all its support behind NC yet again at a crucial juncture in our history. We assure you that we will prize, value and work for the trust you are investing in us and stand between political marauders and the political individuality and status of Jammu and Kashmir”, Chief Minister said.

Excelsior Correspondent
ANANTNAG, Nov 27: Accusing Congress of sowing the seeds of divisive and communal politics in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti today said Congress can’t wash its hands off the morass of political uncertainty and economic instability Jammu and Kashmir is entangled in.
“It is ironic that Rahul Gandhi is criticizing his friend Omar Abdullah now after having destroyed Jammu and Kashmir together during the past six years,” Mehbooba said while addressing a series of election rallies in Dooru Assembly segment of this South Kashmir district  to enlist support for PDP candidate Farooq Indrabi.
She said it was Rahul Gandhi who provided the lifeline to Omar in 2010 when hundreds of youth and children were being killed by NC-Congress coalition Government in Kashmir. “Rahul pleaded for giving Omar ‘more time as he is young and learning’ while innocent blood was being shed on the streets of Kashmir by the Government headed by his friend,” she said and added that Congress also extracted its pound of flesh when it needed to hang Afzal Guru in its failed bid to stop BJP march as Guru was pulled out of the row and sent to gallows out of turn. “Afzal was picked out of turn only as a return favor by Omar to his friend who had owed his survival to Rahul Gandhi in spite of his repeated failures,” she said.
Mehbooba said Congress even shielded Omar in the Haji Yousuf case which would rate as one of the most sensational cases of political corruption and murder in JK. “Even the Rs 113 crore Cricket Association scam, involving Dr Farooq Abdullah, was hushed up by Omar Abdullah-led Government with the help of his friends in Congress,” she said.
Mehbooba said Congress and NC are equally responsible for creating political space for BJP in the State which has, in the last six years, seen the most incompetent and corrupt Government headed by Omar Abdullah. “Congress kept Omar Abdullah Government on life support system for its entire tenure as its ministers tried to outdo their NC colleagues in amassing wealth and looting the State,” she said and added that unfortunately all the Congress ministers involved in various scams and scandals were given mandate by the party like their cohorts in NC.
Claiming that PDP has set new and ethical standards of political morality, she  reiterated her party’s resolve to realize the unfinished agenda of dignified political peace and sustainable economic prosperity for the people in all the regions and sub-regions of the State.  She said there is huge potential of tourism in the area and once voted to form the Government, the PDP will realize that potential for the benefit of the local people.
Mehbooba expressed concern at the reports of major geological changes taking place in the area as a result of the construction of railway tunnel.