BANIHAL: National Conference Working President Mr. Omar Abdullah on Monday alleged the PDP-BJP Governments policy of putting core political issues in J&K on the back-burner did not auger well for the prospects of peace and stability, both within the State and the entire South Asian region.
Abdullah, while addressing public meetings in Banihal today said the spate in incidents of intolerance and communal confrontation in the country had created a sense of despondency and restlessness that could have far-reaching, adverse implications for our coming generations.
Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a prolonged period of political unrest and turmoil. A State like ours cannot be starved of political engagement and initiatives to bring the disgruntled and disillusioned elements into the fold of our democratic processes and systems. A continued failure of the PDP-BJP Government to articulate the need for political engagement with internal and external stakeholders threatens the fragile peace in J&K that has been earned after years of political persistence. A lot of core political issues have been sidelined by the PDP post its alliance with the BJP and this risks further alienation and isolation in the State, Omar said.
Expressing serious concern over the growing sense of communal polarization and intolerance in the country, Omar said incidents like those that were witnessed in Dadri and Udhampur are blots on the social fabric of our country and will continue to haunt the nations collective conscience for years to come.
Within J&K, tragic incidents like the murderous attack on a truck-driver in Udhampur by a frenzied, communal mob highlight the gravity of the situation we are confronted with. PDP acted as a political courier that carried the alien ideology of intolerance and communal polarization into Jammu and Kashmir at the behest of those who have always harboured a dream to fragment and polarize the State. There is no place for communalism in Jammu and Kashmir and our legacy of secularism, inclusiveness and tolerance will triumph over all sinister plans to sow disaffection between the three regions of the State and between people on the basis of their religions. National Conference will never allow such plans to succeed, the NC leader said.
During 2014 Parliamentary and Assembly elections in the State, Mufti Sahab and Mehbooba Ji campaigned against the BJP in the State and sought elections to stop their political march into the State. Votes for sought for PDP to keep the BJP at bay. As soon as the election results were out, PDP leaders rushed to Nagpur and New Delhi to embrace top BJP and RSS leaders. Since the very incorporation of PDP, National Conference had highlighted their inherent political nexus with the BJP. Today, their political affiliation with the BJP and RSS is out in the open, Omar said.
He said the Chief Ministers office and institution had been trivialized under Mufti Sahab and that the existing atmosphere of helplessness and political ineffectiveness in the State could create an aversion towards the general democratic system. The Prime Minister, during his visit to Srinagar publicly ridiculed and insulted Mufti Sahab by telling him that he didnt require his advice on the Kashmir Issue. The entire political discourse in the State has changed with BJP exerting complete and total control not only on the institutions of governance but also the political articulation of outstanding issues. The Prime Ministers snub has rendered PDP and its leadership completely irrelevant in the larger political discourse and that doesnt behoove well for the State and its people. While PDPs interests might be well served by remaining in power at all costs, the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir stand to be harmed by such dis-empowerment, Omar said.
He also blamed Mufti Mohammed Sayeed for barterning unique identity of Jammu and Kashmir in lieu of assumed increased flow of funds, and willingly handing over the command of his government Nagpur.
Mr Omar Abdullah said he had offered unconditional outside support to Mufti Mohammed Sayeed during the process of government formation but he refused saying his party was actually looking for massive funding to the State by aligning with BJP.
Referring to the recently announced Central Package to the State, Mr. Omar Abdullah said the purely numerical substance would not benefit the people of the State on the ground. He reiterated packages alone would not help Jammu and Kashmir to emerge from the shadows of political uncertainty and unrest. It is very important that the political dimensions of the Kashmir Issue are addressed. Economic packages need to be supplemented with political initiatives and measures. I spoke about this in the presence of a visiting Prime Minister and also articulated this conviction in the Legislative Assembly. The State Government, on its own initiative took up political measures to address the perception of alienation and we worked very hard to create alternative routes for the return of misguided youth from across the border a process that has been brought to a standstill by the present Government, the NC Working President further said while addressing the public meetings.
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