Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 28: Chief Minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah said today that his party was not power hungry which it had amply demonstrated in 2002 by refusing to form the Government despite being the single largest party and the support offered by some of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs.
“Some PDP MLAs and their mediators had approached me and extended their support in formation of Government in 2002 when we had won 28 seats and the NC was single largest party in the Assembly. However, we preferred to sit in the opposition respecting the people’s mandate, which should leave no one in doubt that we are not power hungry,” Omar said addressing an impressive public meeting at Darhal, the PDP held Assembly segment, in Rajouri district.
He added: “the NC would have formed the Government in 2002 also with the support of MLAs of the PDP, who were approaching us directly or through their mediators but we didn’t believe in the politics of deceit and defections. We preferred to sit in the opposition instead of forming the Government by unhealthy means”.
Omar said even when Mufti Sayeed was heading PDP-Congress coalition some of the PDP MLAs wanted to topple it by supporting NC to form the Government.
Worthwhile to mention here that NC had bagged 28, Congress 20 and PDP 17 seats in 2002 Assembly elections. The Congress and PDP had formed the coalition Government and shared power with the support of Independent MLAs while the NC had sit in the opposition.
“This was a clear and categorical example that the NC is not power hungry while the PDP is as it formed the Government with just 17 MLAs,” Omar said, adding the NC has always done the politics based on principles of honesty and sincerity unlike the PDP whom he charged with playing the politics just for electoral gains.
He added that the NC believed in taking on its political opponents in open political arena rather than indulging in any conspiracy for getting power. He charged the PDP with nourishing an agenda to remove him from the post of Chief Ministership “by hook or by crook”.
Describing PDP as BJP two faces of same coin, Omar said their only agenda is to divide people on emotional grounds, polarize the society and nurture hatred to grab power.
The Chief Minister said PDP never tried to create working relation with his Government and play the role of constructive opposition like the NC did for five and a half years after losing power in 2002 for the larger interests of the State and its people.
“When in 2002, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took over as Chief Minister of the State, I went to him to congratulate and assured full support of my party, which was then in opposition,” he said, adding again when “I became the Chief Minister in 2008, without waiting for receiving any word from Mr Sayeed, I went to him to convey that politics apart we should together pull the State out of economic mess, unemployment and other issues,” Omar said but regretted that the PDP didn’t play role of constructive opposition and always remained destructive.
“They (the PDP) had only one agenda (to dislodge my Government) and create rift in the coalition. However, they failed in their task,” the Chief Minister asserted.
He said although Mr Sayeed appreciated his intentions both the times when he met him after losing power and after regaining it in 2002 and 2008 respectively, his party PDP started false propaganda against him and his Government with sole motive of dislodging the Government.
Omar said while Pravin Togadia (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) leader fanned trouble in Rajouri early last year, the PDP spared no effort to encash on it and gain political mileage. “Instead of defusing the trouble, the PDP tried to exploit it for political benefits. It was only the NC, which played the positive role, bridged the gap between two communities and restored normalcy,” he added.
Omar alleged that the PDP was nourishing an agenda to remove him from his post “by hook or by crook.”
“The leadership of PDP goes to people and tells them that they do not want power. What a lie they speak?” Omar said, wondering how could PDP leadership “befool” people when everyone was aware of their frustration to be in power.
He said 2010 summer unrest in the Kashmir Valley amply demonstrated “how PDP worked to dislodge his Government to grab power.”
“At that time, the PDP leadership did everything to convince the Prime Minister and others that Omar Abdullah is the only stumbling block and if he is removed from chair and power given to PDP, everything will be fine in the State,” he recalled.
Referring to the recent medical seat scam, Omar said his Government not only exposed the wrongdoings, but also took action against the guilty.
“As soon as my Government unearthed the scam, we removed the accused officer and handed him over to police. Instead of appreciating this, PDP has started a negative propaganda against me and my Government,” Omar said, adding it was the State Government that exposed the scam and took all possible follow up action.
Contrary to this, he added, in 2004, the PDP led Government had set aside a Crime Branch report against a person accused of selling the medical seats, and promoted him to the higher post,” he alleged.
He told the gathering that the persons, who benefited out of the MBBS scam in 2004 would have become doctors by now and no body knows how many of them would be treating you and me.
“Had the PDP acted on the scam then like we did now, the undeserving candidates could have been prevented from becoming the doctors,” Omar said and described the PDP’s uproar over present MBBS scam as nothing but a `political drama’.
The Chief Minister said BJP is equally responsible for disturbing peace in the State and creating tension between various sections and regions.
“BJP leaders are in search of occasions to flare up communal tension to take political advantage,” he said, adding that his party, National Conference, has struggled to uphold secular credentials of Jammu and Kashmir and worked for maintaining harmony among various sections and regions.
On development of Darhal, Omar said the “non-performance” of the sitting MLA (Zulfikar Choudhary of PDP) has hit the development process to a great extent. He said the PDP MLA has failed to raise the voice of the area inside the Legislative Assembly as well as outside.
“While all other Assembly constituencies whether represented by opposition or coalition partners have witnessed tremendous development process for the endeavour and working of the MLAs, Darhal has unfortunately not witnessed the similar pace on works, despite lot of measures taken by the Government due to non-performing MLA”, he said and added that he would ask the District Development Commissioner, Rajouri to immediately submit a comprehensive report of various projects in Darhal Assembly constituency requiring funds to be completed within next few months.
Omar said efforts will be made to ensure adequate funds for these projects so that benefits accrue to the people as soon as possible”, he said adding that he will ask the Planning and Development Department to look into this aspect favourably.
The Chief Minister appreciated the people for their support to him in strengthening the law and order situation and said that peace is essentially important to achieve the development goals. He appealed to people to play their important role in the strengthening of the communal harmony and peaceful atmosphere in the State.
Minister for Forests, Mian Altaf Ahmad and NC provincial president for Jammu, Devender Singh Rana also addressed the public meeting.
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