Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 20: The ruling coalition and Opposition members turned tables on each other during debate on Governor’s address today also.
Starting the debate Congress Legislative Party leader Rigzin Jora made a scathing attack on coalition partners People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for their unholy alliance. Jora, who represents Leh Assembly Segment said the two parties should implement their poll promises as PDP got mandate for strengthening Article 370, granting total internal autonomy, promising free trade and porous border while BJP advocated for abrogation of Article 370 granting special status to the State, delimitation of constituencies, ending discrimination with Jammu region, granting citizenship rights to West Pak refugees with rehabilitation of PoK refuges.
But later taking a complete U turn on their poll manifestos, the two parties in their Common Minimum Programme (CMP) declared that status of Article 370 will be maintained. This shows that the two parties are not achieving their poll agenda, he added.
Referring to recent statement of Union MoS Home in Parliament that Article 370 is a link between J&K and India , Jora said that no one can abrogate it except the Constituent Assembly which is not now existing.
Lambasting BJP, he asked it what happened to its slogans of Dr Mookerjee’s Balidan and Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan and Ek Pradhan. Referring to eminent jurist Ram Jethmalani, who is affiliated to BJP, Jora said that he too has stated that Article 370 can’t be abrogated. However, when BJP was out of power it cried about the abrogation of Article 370 and now they are in power they came to know about the intricacies of abrogating Article 370, he added.
Congress stalwart said earlier the BJP was crying that Congress Government led by Manmohan Singh is weak and China has entered inside but what the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi did in nine months. He exchanged gifts with Pakistan PM. Now Mr Modi has realized where the shoe pinches.
Criticizing the BJP and PDP for praising former Prime Minster, Atal Behari Vajpayee he said Raghunath Bazar attack took place during his rule. Parliament and Kargil were attacked during Vajpayee time. Ridiculing BJP for celebrating the Vijay Divas on Kargil victory, he asked what victory is it?. You allowed intruders to enter in civil uniform and then celebrated Vijay Divas, he added
Lashing out at BJP he said what solution of Kashmir issue they were talking of when Party has given slogans throughout “the Kashmir which has been watered by our blood is ours”. (Jis Kashmir Ko Khoon Sey Sencha Voh Kashmir Hamara Hain).
Maintaining that Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has to talk about Vajpayee he said that Party was incubated by former PM and delivered by his lieutenant L K Advani.
Accusing PDP and BJP for polarization in Kashmir and Jammu Divisions respectively, Jora said BJP was befooling people on delimitation and settlement of West Pak refugees without knowing what law says.
He said as per law there can be no delimitation up to 2026 and in case BJP is ready to given citizenship rights to West Pak refugees Congress will fully back it. Jora while referring to PDP’s self rule said it is reconstructing Constitution. He wanted to know who eroded it. If it was done during the rule of late Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq and Sayeed Mir Qasim then Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was also a Minister in their Governments, he added.
Ridiculing the CM’s recent statement he said Mr Sayeed was doing politics by complimenting Pakistan and separatists. Terming it a well calculated statement he said this way he wanted to see reaction of BJP. He warned Mr Sayeed that he will be condemned for Safforonization of Kashmir valley.
He also criticized BJP on cultural nationalism. He said PM says that I am a Hindu nationalist then who are we and are we Budhist nationalist or Muslim nationalist. He asked BJP to fulfill the promise regarding UT status to Ladakh.
Maintaining that NC has no enmity with BJP or RSS, NC leader Ali Mohammad Sagar said that we oppose their policies. Finding fault with Governor’s address he said though it was skillfully crafted but it is nothing except bunch of lies.
Sagar while commenting on PDP-BJP alliance said that it is a political upheaval for the State. He said joining NDA was a great mistake of NC also “as our number came down from 60 seats to 28 and still NC is reaping that”.
He said Kashmiris joined hands with Mahatma Gandhi’s India and at present Muslims feel suffocated in India. It is not Vajpayee led Government at present and during every week PM and BJP chief Amit Shah have to present themselves before RSS chief, he added.
Sagar said BJP claims that formation of the Government in the State was a tribute to Mookherjee, and made it clear that J&K is not the water and power problem. Accusing Delhi of betrayal, he said State was promised autonomy but the resolution passed by State Assembly was not accepted by Delhi.
He said that J&K is not like the States of Bihar and UP but a special State whose accession with India is based on certain principles. “Today Mahatma Gandhi is dubbed as British agent what about us”, he asked?
Referring to BJP President Amit Shah’s recent statement who reportedly has said that solution of J&K should be as per aspirations of the people, Sagar said settlement of Kashmir issue on the basis of Parliament resolution of 1994 will be a cheating.
He said after joining hands with BJP the countdown for PDP has begun. He also warned Delhi for giving threats to Muslims as they feel suffocated in the country.
Sagar said after criticism by Centre on release of Masrat Alam the Mufti should have come out of alliance and kicked the chair.
M Y Tarigami of CPI (M) said the recent mandate given by the people of the State is not a fractured but a polarized mandate. Some political parties tried to deepen this polarization. J&K is a young sensitive State which is 150 years old and efforts needed to be made to strengthen the relations among people of different regions, he added.
He said diversity which is the tradition of the State is also its strength and the same can’t be converted into our weakness. He reminded Chief Minister that during his tenure as CM in 2002 he had said that no one will be allowed to weaken State Constitution when I referred to RSS resolution about separate Jammu State as it suits Sangh as well as separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani too. The Assembly passed a unanimous resolution to defeat such forces, he added.
He said again polarization took place in 2008 after land row agitation PDP from 16 seats went to 21 while BJP went from one seat to 11 seats.
He wanted to know that what was the purpose of Dr Mookerjee’s agitation. Tarigami, while referring to BJP chief Amit Shah’s statement that Party extended support to PDP to settle Kashmir issue, asked it to bring a resolution in the House on settlement of Kashmir issue and we will support it. He wanted to know what understanding PDP has reached with BJP on the issue.
Tarigami said today BJP is nothing except RSS and it stands for abrogation of 370 which it considers the main hurdle.
He said that with forming Government with BJP, Mufti Sayeed wanted to formalize this polarization. He reminded PDP leaders that they have no threat from opposition but within and asked them to have a hot line with Nagpur and this will give party a lease of life.
Lambasting the opposition BJP fire band youth leader, Ravinder Raina said that they are talking about those who went to Pakistan for arms training but they did not recall martyr Mohammed Maqbool Sherwani who laid down his life for State and nation.
There is no Hindu -Muslim conflict in J&K but a fight between nationalist people and anti nationals, he added.
Criticizing NC leader Ali Mohammed Sagar, Raina said on one hand he says India is thousand times better than Pakistan and on the other he terms J&K a disputed State.
Reiterating that Parliament resolution of 1994 is the firm national stand on Kashmir he said NC leader Farooq Abdullah had also supported this resolution and nation stands that the portion forcibly occupied by Pakistan and China be vacated.
He said when the State needs money, induction in IAS, IPS, construction of Highways they need Delhi and later we blame it for all problems without thinking that it is Pakistan which put the Kashmir on fire.
He said the NC-Congress was rejected by people as there was total corruption every where. The Directorate of Education was den of corruption and the PA of the then Education Minister was ruling the roost. There was total loot in Revenue Department and the mission of coalition Government is to end the Commission system and do justice to people, he added.
Ridiculing NC for criticising the PDP for joining hands with BJP, Raina said that NC also submitted a proposal for marriage but it was turned down as the track record of Party was not good. He appreciated CM for joining hands with BJP saying that Mr Sayeed during his poll rallies in Jammu said that every State needs a leader like Modi for development and dispensation of justice.
He said the PDP-BJP alliance is for unity among Hindus and Muslims and overall development of the State, settlement of problems of PoJK refugees, West Pak refugees and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants. BJP MLA from Doda Shakti Parihar while lambasting opposition said they are not more interested in speaking on Governor’s address but finding fault in BJP-PDP coalition. He said the two parties got the mandate from two regions of the State and the leaders of the two parties formed a common agenda for governance.
Ridiculing the claims of opposition on polarization Parihar said being a Hindu he won from Doda a Muslim majority district and Party got four seats in the erstwhile Doda district and any one who worked for polarization of votes that was NC and Congress but people rejected them, he added.
Highlighting the agenda of the coalition, he said we want end to regional imbalances, transfer of Uri, Dul Hasti projects, Satellite cities, etc.
Terming unemployment a grave problem he stressed on construction of power projects in Chenab Valley to end the problem in this belt. He criticized the Opposition for blaming coalition for problems when they ruled the Sate for last many years.
Chenab Valley has a potential of producing 20,000 mw power but Government has not restored the work on Rattle power project work on which is closed for last 10 months.
He said those who are talking that people in Banihal crave for a power bulb should ask themselves that who is responsible for the same as they were ruling the State earlier. Previous Government worked on pick and choose policy and favoritism, he added .
He said in Doda hundreds of schools are closed. He also demanded probe into transfer of ReTs in Doda by CEO.
PDP’s Abdul Rahim Rather while justifying coalition of PDP-BJP termed it a historical development. He said this Government is in a debt trap which it got as gift from previous regime. The increasing corruption and nepotism ruined the State’s economy, he added.
Hailing the decision of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed to join hands with BJP, he said Mr Sayeed did not want that any region be ignored. Referring to Congress for saying that the Party had extended unconditional support to PDP for Government formation rather said this proposition was not a mandate.
Terming the coalition as historical, PDP MLA from Kokernag said that his Party does not believe in alienation of any region and why opposition is trying to find a fault in alliance when we are satisfied.
Rather said no one can understand BJP better than Opposition leader Omar Abdullah as he was a Union Minister in NDA Government.
Turning tables on previous coalition he said they made accountability and Human Rights Commission idle and new Government will strengthen them. He said Kashmir has a lot of scope especially in tourism and stressed on development of Shiva Bhagwati Shrine in Akingam area of his Constituency, development of tourist spots of Kokernag, Daksum Poshpathri, Marwah and Warwan..
BJP’s Dilip Parihar while lambasting the opposition said that Bhaderwah though small Kashmir has been neglected by the previous Governments. He said for 15 days Bhalesa and Charala roads are blocked and liabilities were not cleared.
He termed all prevailing problems as a result of misrule of NC-Congress Government.
He said 1987 Rajiv -Farooq accord was the basis of present crisis in the State and in 2013 Kishtwar riots a coalition Minister was responsible, he added.
Deldan Namgyal pinpointed the flaws in the CMP and said that Ladakh region has been totally ignored. He sought special steps for the development of the region. He reminded the promises made by the BJP with the people of Ladakh at the time of Parliamentary elections regarding granting Union Territory status to Ladakh and demanded fulfilling the same. He also sought strengthening the labour laws to safeguard the interests of labour community of Ladakh.
Engineer Abdul Rashid sought concrete steps for resolution of Kashmir issue and restoration of complete peace in the State. He favoured sustained dialogue between all stakeholders for the resolution of Kashmir issue.
Aijaz Ahmad Mir said the PDP-BJP has been formed to respect the mandate of both the divisions as in Kashmir people vote for PDP whileas in Jammu the people voted for BJP, therefore, the alliance is totally justified. He hoped that the Mufti-led Government will provide transparent and accountable government in the State.
Mubarak Gul while opposing the Governor’s Address said that nothing concrete has been proposed for the flood victims of Valley and called for substantial rehabilitation assistance for the flood affectees. He also sought serious steps to resolve the Kashmir issue. He also called for strengthening the Article 370 which he described as bridge between State and Centre.
Ajay Nanda while taking part in discussion on Governors address said that the State of J&K has huge tourism potential and need is to develop world class tourism infrastructure in all tourist destinations so that maximum tourists visit the State.
Yawar Ahmad Mir while participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks on Governors address spoke in its favour and said that the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of coalition Government envisages empowerment of the people of the State.
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