Srinagar, Aug 10: Reacting sharply to State Congress chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz’s statement regarding his role in stalling AFSPA revocation, ruling National Conference Friday accused Congress of “using the Army for its own political purposes.”
“Putting such a viewpoint on AFSPA in public domain indicates that Congress wants to use the army for its own (political) purposes,” firebrand NC leader and the party’s Additional General Secretary Dr Mustafa Kamaal told local news gathering agency KNS Friday.
He said Soz’s statement indicates that he wants the unrest to continue in the state.
“When the new army chief himself says AFSPA could be partially revoked and the Chief Minster having made it clear that the controversial law has to go, how could Soz made such a senseless statement”, asked Kamaal.  He said such statements make it clear ‘who does and who doesn’t care for the people of the state’.
Kamaal made it clear that NC will not heed to such statements and would continue to press for the revocation of the controversial law from the trouble hit state. “AFSPA was only to curtail militancy in the state and now when there is improvement in the situation, we can’t afford to continue with such laws”, asserted Kamaal, adding that it wasn’t a political issue but purely an administrative issue and Soz had no authority to oppose it.
“Believe me he is no more a good baby for Congress high command, but they don’t have any material here in the state, so are helpless but to continue with him”, Kamaal said.
He accused Soz of trying to play with the sentiments of the people for meager ‘political’ interests. “Soz wants to keep the unrest going for his political interests.”
Kamaal, however, maintained that Omar Abdullah government would now like to take up issues directly with the Congress high command. “We feel it now better to bypass the local Congress and discuss the sensitive issues directly with Congress high command directly”, Kamaal said.
He urged the Congress high command not to take Soz and other local Congress leaders ‘seriously’ and continue strengthening the Omar Abdullah government.
Accusing, Soz of trying to dislodge Omar Abdullah government in the state, Kamaal said; “With the support of some local Congress leaders Soz is hatching conspiracy to dislodge Omar Abdullah government and form a new political alliance in the state. He wants to create a hostile atmosphere within the government which would eventually force NC to leave the coalition”.
Kamaal, however, made it clear that his party won’t give Soz a chance to ‘rejoice’ by pulling out of the coalition.
“He (Soz) has been the darling of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and they are the two faces of the same coin”, the NC leader.
Accusing the state Congress chief of ‘dancing to Mufti’s tunes’, Dr Kamaal said; “Every one out here knows that Mufti got nurtured in Soz’s lap, and this is an ages old friendship”.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 11 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST