Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Jan 27: Former Chief Minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah today said as People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Government failed to deliver, people prefer Governor’s rule in the State. He asked Mehbooba Mufti to either form the Government or seek fresh mandate from the people.
While addressing a gathering in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, Omar said that the biggest achievement of the PDP-BJP Government is that people today prefer Governor’s rule over elected Government. “I am astonished that people are not complaining about Governor’s rule. This is an ample proof that the BJP-PDP has failed in these 10 months because their absence is not being felt by the people. Not having a Minister is being liked by them as they say they didn’t do anything and Governor will do something. This is their achievement of 10 months that today people prefer Governor’s rule”, he said.
The former Chief Minister said that they (PDP) have 27 MLAs and there has been Governor’s rule twice in one year. “The alliance is still there but still there is no Government. They have double standards”, he said.
“It was surprising that people found the administration more responsive and effective under Governor’s rule than it was under the rule of the PDP-BJP Government – which is a tragic indictment of the PDP-BJP Government”, the NC leader said
Omar said that Mehbooba Mufti should form the Government or seek fresh mandate from the people. “One day they say that the agenda of alliance has to be redrafted and next day they say it is sacred document and will take it forward. If you have to take it forward, for God’s sake Mehbooba Ji form the Government. We are not creating any hurdle in the Government formation. You come forward and form the Government. If your father didn’t reach to people in one year, you come forward and reach out to the people. And if you don’t have to form the Government, for God’s sake you suspend this Assembly and allow people to decide afresh”, he said.
The NC leader said that his party will form majority Government if fresh elections are held in the State. “They are afraid of fresh elections as that is why they don’t want fresh elections. If there will be fresh elections, NC will win and there will be no need for any alliance. We will form majority Government in the State on our own”, he said.
“The other option is that of fresh elections in the State. But PDP is so terrified of being routed out completely once for all that it is neither willing to provide a Government with its alliance partner nor is it willing to go for fresh elections. If you are so scared of forming a Government with BJP – which continues to be your alliance partner, let us go to the people for a fresh mandate. However, PDP knows it would be completely decimated and that National Conference would emerge as a single-majority force in fresh elections and hence PDP wants the State to hang midair in political uncertainty”, Omar said.
The NC leader said that Mehbooba is playing same trick as was played by his father last year but people won’t fall in the trap now. “But people won’t wait for long. Mufti sahib had done it last year. At that time, the situation was different as people were frustrated due to floods. They were waiting for relief. People wanted Government anyhow and at that time when the PDP and BJP formed an alliance, people didn’t object much. She wants to follow the same trick but now people are not going to fall into the trap and won’t tell Mehbooba Ji you form the Government anyhow”, he said.
A statement issued here by the NC quoted Omar as saying: “PDP was terrified of fresh elections in the State due to its political U-turns and a 10-month tenure of failures and abject misgovernance.”
“National Conference had 28 MLAs in the previous Legislative Assembly and the NC-Congress Coalition and with those 28 MLAs did a lot for this State. From New Administrative Units across the length and breadth of the State to the Mughal Road to Landmark developmental initiatives or our Welfare and Entrepreneurship Assistance Programs for unemployed youth, we delivered as a Government. We empowered the common man to hold the Government accountable by the Right to Information (RTI) Act and laid the edifice for the production of almost 9,000 Megawatts of Hydroelectric Power in the State. PDP has the same number of MLAs and look at the state of misgovernance, helplessness and chaos in the State today. Within 10 months of its alliance Government with the BJP, PDP has proved to be a complete failure”, the NC leader said.
The NC working president said that despite the PDP-BJP Alliance intact and despite the existence of elected MLAs, the State’s Budget was all set to be prepared and adopted by the Governor’s office. “In spite of being your MLAs, we have been deprived of our Constitutional powers to make the budget and public policies reflect your needs and aspirations. I can’t ask any questions of the Government as one fails to understand who those questions need to be directed towards”, he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel