Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 16: Seeking to downplay the resignation of Tariq Hameed Karra from party and Lok Sabha, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar today said that the development would have no impact on PDP as well as the coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir State.
“No set back to the party, which is intact as it is an idea and an agenda under a leadership. The parties are like platforms where people keep coming and going and quitting by an individual do not make much impact,” he said in response to a query by media persons on sidelines of a function, here today.
The PDP leader reminded that the then MP Prof Saif-ud-Din had also resigned from the Parliament and left the National Conference when NC was in alliance with BJP. “You must remember when NC entered into alliance with BJP and their one MP had also resigned. This has been happening in the past,” he said and reiterated that the party was very much intact and above leaders.
Naeem Akhtar also rejected the speculations as mere rumours that more PDP leaders and legislators may quit the party following Karra’s resignation.
Pertinent to mention that PDP MP Tariq Hameed Karra had yesterday resigned from the party as well as Lok Sabha days after separatist Hurriyat Conference issued an appeal to the mainstream politicians to quit their parties and join the ongoing agitation in Kashmir valley.
Also ruling out any threat to the Government, Naeem Akhtar maintained that both PDP and BJP were committed to Agenda of Alliance, which is backbone of alliance between North pole and South pole with basic objective of restoring peace with dignity and creating democratic space in trouble torn Jammu and Kashmir. “The ruling coalition is committed to Agenda of Alliance and even Prime Minister has also made it clear,” he added.
Maintaining that all out efforts were being made for restoration of normalcy in Kashmir Valley with maximum restraint of using force, the minister said that it was evident from the fact that such a large number of security personnel have sustained injuries in the clashes.
The Education Minister, however, expressed his serious concern over the closure of schools and adverse impact on studies of the students due to ongoing turmoil in Kashmir Valley. “Maximum Government services and supplies are on with little interruption but schools and business have been severely hit and this is main concern for me. What kind of society we are producing by depriving our children from education,” Naeem said and added that he had also appealed to the separatists for sparing schools from the shutdown so that studies of the children may not suffer.
At the same time, the Education Minister also held the community people equally responsible for the academic loss to children. “Why don’t people come forward in villages where the students as well as the teachers are locals and the schools can be opened with the community cooperation? But unfortunately this is not being done by the people, who are taking this responsibility,” he said with a pain and added that no compromise should be made on education of the children.
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