Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 9: The father-son duo of Dr Farooq and Omar Abdullah have resorted to the tactics of telling lies in order to woo the voters not realising that in the digital era truth gets exposed somehow, stated Brig (retd) Anil Gupta, State spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a statement here, today.
Ridiculing Omar’s statement that “empowerment of ST, SC forms core of NC policy”, Brig Gupta questioned Omar as to why his party is reminding them only during the elections? NC has always exploited the members of these communities as a vote bank but never bothered to address their genuine concerns.
Brig. Gupta said in the NC’s myopic outlook these communities have never been relevant. It is NC-Congress combine which has ruled the State for the maximum period and has deliberately ignored the interests of SC/ST/OBC community.
Why the SCs of the State were denied for 20 years their constitutional right till 1970 by the then democratic rulers (Congress and National Conference) by taking the cover of Articles 370 and 35A. Which political parties are responsible for the insertion of these Articles in the Constitution is well known to the people? Who is responsible for the denial of Constitutional and basic human rights to the Valmikis and West Pakistan refugees (mostly SC), the Abdullahs must explain to the people, demanded Brig Gupta. Why they have been debarred the privilege of citizenship when they have been living in the State for decades, he questioned?
The Tribal Rights Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2007 was not made applicable to J&K by Omar Abdullah Government. The STs have been denied political reservations in the State by all previous governments while the BJP has been demanding the same. The fact is that SC/ST communities are remembered by these parties only during elections accused Brig Gupta.
NC is also opposing promulgation of an Ordinance for giving reservation benefits in Government jobs to the SCs and STs in J&K which proves that Omar’s statement is a mere “Jumla”, he added.
Taking a dig at Dr Farooq’s statement that NC is the well-wisher of the women and is committed to women empowerment, Brig Gupta asked Farooq to clarify why he and his party is opposed to removal of gender inequality unleashed on the daughters of Jammu and Kashmir by Article 35A? Why his Government opposed tooth and nail implementation of court judgement in Dr Susheela Sawhney case declaring that a daughter of a permanent resident marrying a non- permanent resident will not lose the status of permanent resident of the State of Jammu & Kashmir? Instead of honouring the court judgement in letter and spirit his Government tabled a bill titled ‘Permanent Resident Disqualification Bill’, which if passed would exclude women married to non-State subjects from their legal and fundamental rights. As regards 33% reservation for women, Dr Farooq needs to explain the failure of his party to implement the same during the earlier tenures of his Government demanded Brig Gupta.
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