Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 3: Former Chief Minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah today said the “divisive agenda” of PDP and BJP was the biggest challenge confronting Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar, who is on a two-day tour of Gurez, said the State Government is “hell-bent” on dividing people on the basis of region and religion, to further a “long-held ideological goal” of the BJP and the RSS.
“The divisive agenda of the PDP-BJP Government is the biggest challenge confronting the State and its people and National Conference would fight every necessary battle to protect the rights and interests of the people,” Omar said while addressing public meetings at Kanzalwan and Dawar in Gurez area.
“Be it Article 370 — which grants the State a measure of autonomy — or Article 35A — which bars outsiders from holding land or Government jobs in the State — the PDP-BJP alliance had tried its best to facilitate one political intrigue after another against the people of the State, the former Chief Minister said.
“We have to be united across the length and breadth of the State to defeat these sinister designs at all costs. The people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are all united by a common resolve to protect our political and cultural identity and to uphold the integrity of the State,” Omar said.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly also pointed to the Government’s “glaring insensitivity” towards far-flung and border areas of the State.
Expressing disappointment at the State Government’s “failure” to dispense its most basic duties in Gurez, Omar alleged the people have been left without any mechanisms and systems to address basic public grievances.
Omar said his party had always cherished and nurtured a special bond with the people of Gurez ever since the time of Sher-e-Kashmir — Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, a bond which was nurtured in all successive NC Governments.
He expressed disappointment at the State Government’s failure to dispense even its most basic duties in Gurez and said the people had been left without any mechanisms and systems to address basic public grievances.
Upon his arrival in Gurez, Omar was given a rousing public reception by the people at Tragbal.
“It was Sheikh Sahab who created the Tehsil in Gurez and started a slew of initiatives to bring governance to Gurez and to encourage the hard-working people here to play a role in the overall development of not only Gurez but the entire State. During Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s tenure, Gurez benefited from a number of public initiatives and it was this National Conference Government that gave Gurez the status of a separate constituency – to aid in the development of the area”, Omar said.
“During the previous National Conference-led Government, we ensured Gurez received its due share of funds and infrastructural initiatives such as the ITI, New Administrative Units and a number of comprehensive initiatives in the public health and education sectors. We left no stone un-turned to alleviate the challenges people of Gurez face due to lack of year-round connectivity and the hostile climate in the winters.
“However, ever since the PDP-BJP Government took over Gurez has been summarily neglected and the State Government has turned a blind-eye towards pressing issues here. The people have been left without the most basic governance as the PDP-BJP Government continues to punish the people here for political reasons”, the NC working president added.
The public meetings were also addressed by National Conference provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani and senior leader and MLA Gurez, Nazir Ahmed Khan (Gurezi) besides party block presidents and office bearers.
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