Srinagar, Nov 11: A day after he lost his position as National Conference Chief Spokesman and Additional General Secretary over his remarks on Rahul Gandhi, the outspoken party leader, Dr Mustafa Kamaal on Friday accused New Delhi of “running the show” in Jammu and Kashmir “through its agents.”
“New Delhi runs the show in the state through its agents to keep the governments here under control,” Dr Kamaal said while giving vent to his feelings in an exclusive chat with Greater Kashmir.
Kamaal said his exit from the briefly held party positions was outcome of the tremendous pressure on the NC president. He, however, didn’t elaborate on the quarters that exerted the pressure on Dr Abdullah to do so.
Dubbing state Congress chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz as an agent of New Delhi, Kamaal said he (Soz) is making all kinds of noises just to create political uncertainty and keep his flock together. “Delhi has been issuing statements through its agents like the ones dished out by Soz Sahab to keep their flock together,” he said.
Kamaal, however, minced no words in asserting that New Delhi has to be taken head-on till it realizes that for all these years it has played with the sentiments of people in Kashmir.
“It (New Delhi) has to realize that it has given nothing except destruction, killing, miseries and sufferings to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Although Kamaal accepted that he was asked to step down from party posts following his remarks against AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, but, he at the same time maintained that Rahul has no role in running the affairs of the coalition government in the state.
While exonerating Pakistan of having any role in sustaining “residual militancy” in the state, Kamaal said it is only the vested interests within, who want to keep the pot boiling here. “I have been reiterating that militancy is dead and it is being kept alive with a purpose. Signals emanating from Pakistan are clear that Pakistan has retracted its hands from militancy in JK. Pakistan has already been destroyed by militancy. How can it spare time and resources to train and send militants here. This is all falsehood,” he maintained.
Asked why he was issuing what was perceived as “virulent statements” against anybody and everybody, Kamaal said as the chief spokesman and general secretary of NC he was entrusted with the authority to issue such statements. He said the coterie surrounding the chief minister was presenting his statements in a jaundiced way before him (Omar).
Dr Kamaal was appointed Additional General Secretary and party Spokesman last month following the political storm that erupted in the state over the mysterious death of a prominent NC activist Haji Yousuf on September 30.
However ever since his elevation to the key positions, Dr Kamaal has been very critical of New Delhi, Army and Congress on issues ranging from revocation of AFSPA in JK and New Delhi’s interferences in JK’s day-to-day affairs.
Last month Dr Kamaal accused Army of its involvement in grenades attacks which had taken places in several parts of the Valley - only to withdraw the statement later after being pressurized by the party top brass to do so. Both, NC President, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had cautioned Dr Kamaal from issuing the statements which are not in tandem with the policy of the National Conference.
However, his ouster from the positions became inevitable yesterday after he remarked that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has no role in running the government in Jammu and Kashmir. Though the statement was withdrawn by the party later, it had put a lid on the short career of Dr Kamaal as party’s firebrand spokesman.
Kamaal was reacting to state Congress chief Prof Saifuddin Soz’s remarks that Rahul Gandhi was not happy with the governance in J&K.
Dr Kamaal told a local news gathering agency KNS that Rahul’s role is to run Congress party and not the J&K government. “What has Rahul’s happiness or unhappiness to do with the functioning of the state government,” he had said.
(See full interview in interview category)

Lastupdate on : Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:00:00 IST