Excelsior Correspondent
NAGROTA, Dec 28: National Conference President and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today sought meaningful dialogue for ending political uncertainty in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Alongside opening the channels of dialogue with Pakistan, the Centre must talk to all the stake-holders including Hurriyat Conference,” Dr Abdullah said while addressing a huge public rally at Ragooda in Nagrota Assembly constituency.
He came down heavily on those criticizing him for advocating dialogue with Hurriyat Conference, asking why a finger is not being raised against PDP-BJP duo, which has incorporated this as one of the measures to deal with Kashmir problem in their Agenda of Alliance. He blamed the coalition for bringing the state to unprecedented crisis and unleashing rein of suppression, not only in the Kashmir Valley but also in the Jammu region.
In this context, he referred to killing of nearly a hundred youth, blinding of 300 youngsters and detention of over 12,000 people in the Valley during the past nearly five months and harassment being caused to weaker sections of society in Jammu by threatening their eviction from the lands rehabilitated by their ancestors’ decades ago.
“Aren’t these people Dogras and integral part of the Jammu society, who are at the receiving end due to whims and fantasies of the coalition dispensation”, Dr Abdullah said and warned that continuation of eviction drive will have serious ramifications.
He said his party has always stood by the oppressed sections of society, irrespective of caste, creed and colour and will continue to do so even if entails sacrifices. “We inherit the legacy of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh Itehad and anybody attempting to trample this ethos will get a befitting reply from the people”, he said and advised the Chief Minister not to lose sense of proportion by colluding in inflicting miseries on the people.
Holding PDP responsible for political instability and unrest across the Valley, Dr Farooq Abdullah said that betrayal of mandate by aligning with the BJP engulfed Jammu and Kashmir into unprecedented crisis. He wondered how the party could join hands with the BJP after high pitch campaign against it during electioneering. He said the PDP had vowed to keep the BJP at bay by claiming the saffron party to be anti-Kashmir but when it came to sharing power, they forgot their hollow slogans. He described the PDP-BJP alliance as one of the major causes of igniting Kashmir unrest, saying people will punish the perpetrators of their miseries.
Dr Abdulah also hit out at the Coalition Government for its failures on all fronts, saying the people are suffering due to developmental inertia and lack of utility services. While payments for works under NAREGA are not being released, various categories of employees are craving for their salaries, he said, adding that even the destitute have been denied of much needed financial assistance.
Speaking on the occasion, former Minister Mian Altaf Ahmed blamed the Coalition Government for converting Jammu and Kashmir into a police state where it has become difficult for self-respecting people to live with dignity.
Addressing the huge gathering, Provincial President and MLA Nagrota Devender Singh Rana expressed concern over the threat looming large on weaker sections over eviction and said their ancestors had been rehabilitated by Maharaja Pratap Singh himself. “They are part and parcel of Jammu society” he added.
“Now subjecting them to harassment speaks of the sick mindset of the coalition partners which are working in tandem to create wedge between the people on the basis of religion and caste”, he said and vowed that National Conference will defeat their sinister designs with full might. He lauded the party cadre for remaining steadfast during most emotive 2014 elections and hoped that they will demonstrate same resilience and determination to be on the right side in future as well.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
