Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 12: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today lashed out at BJP president Amit Shah for “falsifying facts” about the amount released by the Centre for the flood-affected people of the State, saying Rs 1700 crores was “not even enough” to raise the basic infrastructure.
“Shah, who is falsifying facts about the amount released for the flood victims, should see the magnitude of these floods and Rs 1700 crore isn’t even enough to raise the basic infrastructure in the State,” Omar said here while addressing election rallies.
He said if the BJP was concerned about the people of Kashmir, what was stopping their Government at the Centre from approving a special package submitted by the State for the flood-affected people.
“If Shah is actually concerned about Kashmiris and their sufferings, what is stopping his Government from approving the Rs 44,000 crore for relief and rehabilitation of the flood victims?,” Omar said.
The National Conference (NC) working president said rather than being serious about the miseries of the flood victims, the Central Government with the help of Opposition PDP and Congress, NC’s coalition partner, “imposed” elections on the people.
“NC otherwise wanted to contest the elections in March- April, so as to work effectively for the rehabilitation of the flood victims. We could never imagine foisting elections on a devastated people who were sleeping under the open sky and whose homes were shattered. PDP and BJP are two sides of the same coin when it comes to their lack of empathy and ruthlessness towards the flood victims,” he said.
Omar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP had “deliberately” stalled the relief and rehabilitation package submitted by his Government to make the flood-hit people “struggle and shiver” in the winter chill.
“The whole world knows that most important Government institutions like civil secretariat or High Court and other important institutions were under water and we had submitted a proposal to the Centre for releasing Rs 44,00 crore so that the hospitals which still san the CT-scan or X-ray machines and other important facilities could have been developed.
“Infrastructure in schools and college’s could have been again installed and the officials of the Revenue Department would have been engaged to work effectively for flood victims rather than being part of the elections. But rather than helping the flood victims, the BJP was imposed the elections on people,” Omar said.
Asserting that BJP’s Mission 44+ is nothing than a hidden agenda of weakening the socio-political status of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said that BJP has a plan to change demography of the State.
Omar while continuing the election campaign inside the various areas of Srinagar city during the wee hours, cautioned people that BJP under the garb of Mission 44+ is actually aiming to weaken or remove the state subject law which provides a special status to the citizens of the Jammu and Kashmir.
“It’s not that BJP is eyeing the 44+ seats of the Legislative Assembly but their actual mission is to erode the special status enjoyed by the State and they want to begin with the state subject law,” Omar cautioned.
He warned that removing the state subject law will enable people from other States of India to purchase land and property in the state, which will eventually end up changing the demography of the state and turning the majority population into minority.
Omar said Mission 44+ is the extended version of BJP’s ideology which is entirely based on “Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan aur Ek Nishan” (one country, one constitution, and one national emblem) and their aim is only to weaken the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir are well versed with the divisive, sectarian and regional bias nurtured by BJP since its inception,” he said.
Omar said NC is the only party that guarantees to protect the special status, state’s own flag and own constitution and people should vote for NC candidates in huge numbers to protect their identity.
He said no power on earth can revoke Article 370 which is the foundation and basis of the relationship between the State and the rest of country.
“The revocation of article 370 will weaken the integrity of the country and pose a serious threat to the peace in State. But BJP is adamant on revoking this article and PDP is ready to help them to realise this dream,” Omar said.
He further said whenever the Legislative Assembly discussed important socio, political and economic developmental issues pertaining to the State in the last six years to give a fillip to the process of progress, the PDP legislators preferred remaining absent from the House and tried their best to sabotage the proceedings of the Legislature.
“In line with these facts, it was Mufti Sayeed who brought the Women’s Rights bill and Transfer of Property bill in the Legislative Assembly that were the first overt steps to weaken the constitution of the State. Even then, National Conference opposed these moves tooth and nail,” he said.
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