*BJP, JSM MLAs disrupt function over power crisis
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 16: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for trying to disrupt his function on the issue of power and water crisis in Jammu saying the party leaders have “double standards” as they have never raised the issue connected with the people of Jammu region during closed door meetings with him.
Omar’s strong reaction came during a function at Jammu Club this evening to launch second phase of Re-structured Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme (R-APDRP), which the BJP tried to disrupt with its MLAs shouting slogans against the Government for acute power and water scarcity in various parts of Jammu even when the summer was at its peak and mercury was rising.
BJP MLAs-Ashok Khajuria, Choudhary Sukhnandan, Sham Choudhary, Bharat Bushan and Prof Gharu Bhagat and JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma tried to disrupt the function. As NC leader Kashmira Singh also joined the issue and took on the BJP MLAs, NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana and IGP Jammu Rajesh Kumar had to intervene to separate the NC-BJP leaders. The BJP and JSM MLAs walked-out of the function shouting slogans demanding adequate supply of power and water for Jammu.
“These MLAs (BJP and JSM) have raised the issue of power crisis in Jammu today only after seeing the cameras. In closed door meetings with me, they have never raised a single issue pertaining to Jammu but only asked for favours like transfers, jobs and seats for their relatives.
“These MLAs have come to my chamber several times to meet me but I have never heard a single word from them pertaining to problems of Jammu leave aside the acute power and water crisis. They have always talked of transfers, selections and seats for their relatives and other people. Today, they have suddenly realized the problems of Jammu to grab space in the media after observing cameras in the function,” Omar said in a hard hitting attack on the BJP MLAs after they had left venue of the function.
“Pagri Pahnane Se Koi Leader Nahin Ban Jata (no one can become the leader by just wearing headgear),” Omar said without naming BJP Legislature Party leader and MLA City East Ashok Khajuria, who had been wearing `pagri’ in the function.
Omar went on: “had these leaders been sincere for Jammu then why they indulged in cross voting in the MLCs elections in 2011 and voted for National Conference and Congress candidates. They are not sincere to Jammu. They are sincere to none. They have created uproar only to grab some place in the media”.
Without naming anyone, the Chief Minister said this BJP leader had done nothing but sycophancy of Farooq Abdullah during his six years tenure as the Chief Minister.
“I know this very well. The BJP leaders have always adopted double standards. They highlight the public issues only before the cameras to fool the people. They have not raised the issues sincerely. They never raise the issues in closed doors, where they only ask for personal favours,” Omar said.
“Inme Se Ek Bhi Jammu Ki Numaindagi Karne Laayak Hota, To Main Inse Khud Baat Karta. Inme Se Ek Bhi Admi Jammu Ke Liye Humare Daftaron Mein Nahin Ladta, Yeh Yahan The Kyunki Yahan Camera Tha (None of them is capable of representing Jammu. Had they been so, I would have personally spoken to them. None of them fights for the cause of Jammu in our offices. They were here because of camera only),” Omar said.
Without naming BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister said the BJP leaders were trying to use party leader’s influence in the upcoming Assembly elections and “today’s entire drama was part of gaining electoral mileage”.
“For five long years, they (the BJP MLAs) remained silent. Tell me a single function in the last 5 years where they had done something like this. Now they look towards Assembly elections and do this to ensure that they are victorious,” he added.
He said the power supply in the region was suffering due to hooking of electric lines and overloading.
“I am not the one who says one thing behind the closed doors and other thing in Jammu or Kashmir or in Delhi. I don’t deceive people,” he said.
“We have not come here to torture the people of Jammu. I have not diverted the power of Jammu to Kashmir,” the Chief Minister said.
“They say that ‘achche din aane wale hain’. But the state’s exchequer is empty. When will they (Centre) fill exchequer of our State, so that I can give you uninterrupted power supply?” he asked.
“When they come to my chamber-the BJP leaders-keep buttering-which has no limit,” he said, adding that by wearing turban, one does not become loyal or honest for the people of Jammu and that one has to be loyal by heart and soul.
“I got emotional but it happened only because they (BJP) politicized the issue and today finally I had to break the silence,” he added.
Asserting that leaving the venue without giving befitting reply to them, would be injustice to the gathering, the Chief Minister said, “I am an outspoken person and I do not have dual standards.”
“I do not behave differently in front of the media. Whatever I speak in my chamber, I speak in front of the people, I am a man of words,” he added.
“I must say that it is hard luck for the people of Jammu. They selected their representatives but they had a deal of their votes,” he said, referring to the 2011 cross-voting episode.
Omar said the BJP MLAs will deceive their party and the people again if they win in the forthcoming Assembly elections by cross-voting.
“If they (BJP MLAs) will win again…They will again bargain….They will take votes in the names of BJP and they are expected to deceive their party again during the polling of Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha,” he said.
“Those who enacted drama before you here today, ask them if we (NC-Cong Government) had faults and were anti-Jammu, why did they (BJP MLAs) deceive their own party and voted for our candidate instead of their party candidate,” Omar said.
Earlier, as soon as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds portfolio of Power Department took up the seat along with other Minister and the organizers called NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana to the dais, BJP MLA from Marh Choudhary Sukhnandan objected asking “whether it was a function of NC or Government”?
Within minutes six MLAs-five from BJP and one from JSM, who were present in the function, were on their feet and disrupted the function for nearly 10 minutes in protest against acute power and water shortage in Jammu.
BJP MLAs including Ashok Khajuria, Choudhary Sukhnandan, Sham Choudhary, Bharat Bhushan and Prof Gharu Bhagat and JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma were on their feet saying despite the fact that the Chief Minister himself holds the charge of Power Department, there was acute power shortage in Jammu when the summer was at its peak and temperature was touching 45 degrees Celsius.
“People were facing miserable power cuts. The power scenario is worst in entire Jammu province. There is no water. Transformers have been damaged. They are not being repaired. The Government is silent to the demand,” Ashok Khajuria, Ashwani Sharma and other MLAs of BJP and JSM shouted, disrupting the function.
NC leader Kashmira Singh, who had earlier defected to BJP from NC and then returned to his parent party, shouted back at the BJP MLAs leading the ruckus for some time. The NC leader tried to march towards the BJP MLAs.
NC leader Devender Singh Rana, IGP Jammu Rajesh Kumar and DIG Shakeel Ahmad Baig intervened to separate the leaders. Later, the BJP and JSM MLAs left the venue shouting slogans charging the Government with all-round failure in providing power and water to Jammu in acute hot weather conditions.
In his address, Omar Abdullah once again mooted the idea of keeping Civil Secretariat in Jammu during summer and in Srinagar during winter.
“This would help us know the problems of the people better,” he said.
Presently, the Government shifted to Srinagar during summer and Jammu during winter. “This practice is for the pleasure or ruling elite. If we really want to know the problems of the people, we should stay in Jammu during summer and Srinagar during winter,” he said.
Earlier also, Omar had mooted the similar idea.
Omar denied the allegations that power quota of Jammu has been shifted to Kashmir, leading to shortage of electricity here. “Had this been true, we wouldn’t have lost all three Parliament seats in Kashmir. Similarly, if power quota of Kashmir had been diverted to Jammu, we would have won the Parliament polls here,” he said.
Admitting that there were problems on account of power shortage, Omar said, the Jammu and Kashmir Government generates only Rs 8500 crores worth revenue from all sectors, while its expenses including salaries and pensions alone had crossed Rs 15,000 crores.
“The problem is there but with the launch of two R-APDRP projects today and completion of other projects, the power scenario would improve in next one year and we will be in a position to provide uninterrupted power supply to the people of the State,” he said.
