Excelsior Correspondent
-Excelsior/Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 3: On last day of his four day election tour of twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri districts, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today made a major announcement that the Government would grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Paharis before the Assembly elections in November this year.
Omar made the announcement while addressing a rally at New Bus Stand, Sailani Bridge in Rajouri town before concluding his four days election tour of the two border districts in support of Congress candidate Madan Lal Sharma.
Noting that the State Government has already written to the Centre Government for grant of ST status to the Paharis a long back, the Chief Minister said if there was no response from the Centre, the National Conference-Congress coalition Government would fulfill the demand on its own well before the completion of its term i.e. before the Assembly elections due for November-December this year.
“We will give the Paharis their due right of ST status without affecting the reservation already provided to the Scheduled Tribes,’’ Omar said, adding that the coalition Government was looking up to the Union Government to take care of the interests of the Paharis but since that didn’t happen for some reasons, the party will fulfill the commitments it has made in the manifesto to the Paharis before the end of Coalition Government’s present term.
In a brief chat with reporters, Omar said the video shown on social media pertaining to Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo was six months old.
“There was no violation of Model Code of Conduct in the video as it was old. The issue was unnecessarily being raised by the opposition,’’ he added.
Replying to a question as to why he didn’t resign from Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA Government in 2002 after Gujarat riots, Omar said he had submitted his resignation.
“It was on record. I had resigned but my resignation was not accepted,’’ he added.
Continuing his attack on BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Omar said:“ the people want good relations with Pakistan and China so that peace prevails in the sub continent. However, Modi was bent upon spoiling the relations by making unnecessary attacks against Pakistan and China in his rallies’’.
He said: “it seems Mr Modi don’t want peace with Pakistan and China. For the sake of chair, he was making provocative remarks against the two neighbouring countries’’.
The Chief Minister, who is also Working President of National Conference, cautioned the people against the conspiracy being hatched by BJP to polarize the atmosphere in the country for paving the way to grab power and destabilize the harmony and brotherhood. He said PDP is an active partner of BJP in Jammu and Kashmir and has fielded its candidates to help Mr Modi and his party tactically.
Drawing parallels between Mr Modi and Rahul Gandhi, Omar said that the “dictatorial behaviour and venomous approach’’ towards Muslims and other communities of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate makes him unfit to lead a country of pluralistic ethos while the clean and transparent image of Rahul representing all sections of the society is the fittest person to lead India.
He said the country is at the cross road of making a choice between a “dictator with communal ideology’’ like Mr Modi and a “secular democratic young person’’ Rahul Gandhi with a clear mission and determination to lead the country sincerely.
Omar reiterated that Mr Modi, who did not show a courtesy to express sorry for the killings of large number of innocents in Gujarat and categorically denied wearing of a cap presented to him by Muslims does not qualify for being the Prime Minister of the country.
He said he had expressed regrets for Kishtwar riots in August last year while Congress had apologized for anti-Sikh riots of 1984. However, he regretted that Mr Modi has refused to apologize for Gujarat riots of 2002.
He said that BJP and PDP has close understanding to tactically divide the voters by flaring up regional and religious issues and dividing society on creed, caste and other considerations.
“It is amply clear that despite knowing that its candidate will not survive in the election fray, PDP in Poonch-Jammu Parliamentary constituency has purposely and tactfully fielded an inhabitant of Poonch area to divide the votes and help BJP”, he said adding that BJP and PDP are in fact two faces of the same coin nurturing the “politics of hatred and communalizing the atmosphere’’.
He said people of the State are fully aware of this kind of politics and have always foiled such designs in the past and will defeat these again and again.
The Chief Minister said the people should clearly know that Parliamentary elections are completely different than the State Assembly elections. “While the Parliament elections are aimed at forming the Government at the Centre to run the affairs of the country, the Assembly polls are regarding electing the State Government. “Presently we have to elect the Parliament and the Prime Minister of the country, as such, our all attention should be to elect such a Government, which would be of representative character and equally beneficial and caring for the people of all sections of the society and all areas of the country”.
He said asking the people not to get swayed by those who want to mislead them by confusing the purposes of the two elections.
Omar said that when the time of State Assembly elections comes, the coalition Government will come before the people and present its performance and report card to them area-wise and region-wise.
The Chief Minister asked the people to vote in large numbers in favour of National Conference and Congress candidates and said that every vote cast in favour of NC-Congress would strengthen secular democratic forces and thwart the attempts of the “communal forces’’ at the helm of affairs.
He said that it will be most unfortunate for India if a person like Mr Modi would be at the seat of power. “As such, every citizen having faith in democracy, secularism, brotherhood, amity, equitable and inclusive development should vote against him and in favour of young and dynamic leader Rahul Gandhi”, he added.
The NC leader referred to the tremendous support provided by UPA Government to the State in its efforts to carry forward holistic and inclusive development and achieve peace and development goals. He also mentioned the efforts put in place by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to help Jammu and Kashmir make new strides in employment generation, women’s development and amelioration of weaker sections of the society in particular and the development of the entire State in general.
Omar said that in Rahul Gandhi, Jammu and Kashmir has found its great friend who is always at beck and call of the State and renders full support to it to overcome difficulties and march towards prosperity.
He also mentioned the achievements of NC-Congress coalition Government in the State and said that by enacting legislations like Public Services Guarantee Act and Right to Information Act not only service delivery of important public services have been made time bound but people have been empowered to question the Government for its omissions and commissions.
He also mentioned the holding of Panchayat Elections, transferring of powers to these institutions, establishment of new autonomous institutions and strengthening the existing ones to bring transparency, curb corruption and give good-governance.
Omar asked the people to remain united and defeat the elements who attempt at disturbing age-old amity and brotherhood in the State just for power politics. He also made people aware of the false propaganda let loose by PDP against NC-Congress coalition Government and said that thriving on falsehood and propaganda has remained the trait of both BJP and PDP.
The election rallies were addressed by Minister for Planning and Development, Ajay Sadhotra, Provincial President NC, Jammu, Devender Singh Rana, Legislators Javid Rana, Jahangir Mir, Rachpal Singh, Dr. Shahnaz Ganai, Shabir Ahmed Khan, senior National Conference and Congress leaders Ch Talib Hussain, Mirza Abdul Rasheed, Nissar Ahmad Khan, Mohammad Aslam Khan Murtaza Khan, Kuldeep Verma, Brij Mohan, Gurdeep Singh Sasan, Peer Mazher Ali Shah, Ch. Zafferullah, Abdul Majid Khan, , Ch Liaqat Ali, Bashir Ahmed Wani, Shafayat Khan, Rahim Daad, Wali Daad and others.
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