Srinagar: Newly elected president of State Congress Ghulam Ahmad Mir Monday accused Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his PDP of taking a U-turn for the sake of power.
Talking to KNS after he was elected as new state president of Congress, Mir said, PDP made a U-turn for the sake of power immediately after the elections. During election campaigning what they said and what was in their manifesto, they made a complete U-turn after they won 28 seats. What their voters had thought and what they got Nagpur in return.
On common minimum programme (CMP) of PDP and BJP, he said, It is only digestible grammar which has been taken care of in the CMP. There is no achievement in the CMP. It is a marriage of convenience. We will wait and watch as government has just begun its innings. If they have given one year time for something we will wait and wont jump on conclusions.
Asked what will be his role now as Congress is in opposition, he said, Our role will be based on issues and ideologies. Till yesterday the party (PDP) which was projecting its ideology before people. The party now left its ideology and issues for power. Every partys ultimate aim is to come to power. But there is no such example where a party sacrificed its ideology for power. This party enchased on regional aspirations of people of Valley but for power they forgot everything.
On lobbyism in state Congress, he said, In bigger parties there is a difference of opinion and there is no lobbyism. Ghulam Ahmad Mir will work as a bridge. Congress party runs on the directions of Sonia Gandhi and my role will be to strengthen the party at the state level. Within the organisation there can be difference of opinion. My job will be to give assignments to everybody to work for the interests of the party and people. Individually who is with whom I have no problem.
I respect all. Azad sahib is senior most leader and we respect him. Soz sahib also played his innings with dignity. So I respect both of them, he added.
Asked how he was chosen ahead of other senior Congress leaders as the President, Mir said, Seniority can have several meanings. If someone is senior to me by age that is something else. I have been working for the Congress party for the last 32 years at different positions. There must be some people who are elder to me by age and I will respect them. It is the tradition of the Congress party.
Once the decision has taken by the high command, everybody should honor that, he added.
On allegations that NC-Congress lacked the CMP which was the reason for its failure, Mir said, Ideology was almost same so there was no need for written things. It was not for the first time that Congress and NC has entered into a coalition. On the basis of ideology both parties had several times been in coalition on the basis of ideology. There might be difference in issues and programmes but still in last six years of coalition, agenda of NC was supported by the Congress and vice-versa by and large. Whatever was for the betterment for the people both the parties fulfilled that.
Asked what was the reason for the defeat of three Congress stalwarts, including him, Taj Mohi-ud-Din and Peerzada Sayeed, he said, Anti-incumbency was one factor and other was that a regional party (PDP) played that it was only them who can stop BJP. People by and large trusted them.
On Muftis controversial statement that he credits Pakistan and militants for successful elections in Kashmir, he said, He dishonoured and discredited the voters of J&K by saying that voting happened because of this statement. PDPs alliance partner BJP has to answer this first.
All praise should have gone to the bold voters of J&K who voted despite all odds. But by Muftis statement he has discredited the voters, he added.
Asked whether any overhauling was on cards in state Congress, Mir said, Change always happens but my priority would be take ground level workers with me.
My ultimate aim is to serve poor people. It is agenda of Congress party to solve the problems of people, he added.