National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Thursday said that the BJP-led government’s “failure” to protect rights of Kashmiris has “weakened the relationship” between New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir and emphasised that this association “can’t be made stronger through conspiracies and by dividing people”.
The former chief minister questioned the “creation” of”third front and new parties” in Kashmir in times of elections, saying therewas an “attempt to divide voice of Kashmiris.”
“Our party has neverquestioned accession. We have always said that whatever we can achieve, we willachieve it from the constitution of this country. Under the constitution,everyone has equal rights, of safety and security,” Omar said, addressing partyworkers here.
“But which constitution do I talk about when my people are not protected, which flag do I talk about when people take refuge in the flag and attack my people. What law do I talk about when your own chief minister and leaders have failed to uphold it?” he said. Omar was speaking at a function organised to welcome former PDP MLA Dr M ShafiWani into the party fold. He made a pointed attack on the government of India a day after two Kashmiri dry fruit sellers were beaten in Lucknow by members of a rightwing group. “What is the message they are trying to convey through beating of Kashmiris? What do they want to say…is it that the state belongs to them but not people of this state or Kashmir will remain part of India but Kashmiris will not,” asked Omar.
The National Conference leader said when accession took place it didn’t happen for land only. “There were people too.
You owned land but you didn’t own its people,” he said. Referring to a speech of Prime Minister NarendraModi in Rajasthan that Kashmiris should not be made a target, Omar said today it seems that “your (the Prime Minister’s) statement is not listened to by your people or was it just a jumla? Modi sahib you will have to prove that your words carry weight and you will have to prove that when you speak as Prime Minister your words are being acted upon.”
Omar said when questions are asked, then the onus would lie on the Prime Minister and not him to reply. He said J&K’s relationship with the union of India cannot be made stronger by suppressing voices and hatching conspiracies.
“You will only end upweakening this relationship,” he said.
Questioning the “creation”of third front and new parties in Kashmir, Omar asked why new parties were notcreated in Jammu and Ladakh.
“It seems all this is doneintentionally to divide our voice,” he said.
Stating that Kashmir wasbeing used as a laboratory for “all kinds of experiments” by New Delhi, he said:”They mix this and that so that there is some smoke from anywhere and they dotheir work through these experiments.” Pitching for conduct of LokSabha andstate Assembly polls simultaneously, Omar said all mainstream parties made thesame demand before the Election Commission of India team which visited J&Krecently. “This government is not concerned about the people. They takepolitical decisions rather than decisions related to people,” Omar said.
Referring to ban of Jamaat-e-Islami, Omar said the crackdown on the organisation would not help in improving the situation. “Everyone knows that NC and Jamaat-e-Islami have been at loggerheads but we have fought each other politically. But we know that the action against them will not benefit the state,”
Omar said, adding that the organisation was banned for five years in 1990 but it did not help improve the situation. “If only they (JeI) are responsible for disturbing the situation, then how did the situation improve after 1995?” Omar asked. He said the situation was “better” for four years starting 2011when he was the chief minister. “But there was no ban on Jamaat-e-Islamia,” Omar said.
The National Conference leader raised concern that over 800 fruit-laden trucks which had got stuck on the Srinagar-Jammu highway were not allowed to proceed.
“I know that the highway remains closed sometimes. But I have been the CM of this state and I know after essential supplies we give priority to transportation of fruit-laden truck as we know this fruit will not last long,” he said. “Today the entire fruit in 800 trucks has been left to rot. They (farmers) won’t be able to pay debt. What will they earn and spend?” he asked