*Terror and talks cannot go together, says BJP
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Mar 19: Veteran National Conference (NC) leader and MLA Khanyar, Ali Mohammad Sagar, today asked the BJP legislators from Jammu and Kashmir to convince Delhi for holding dialogue with Pakistan as he believed that only a meaningful dialogue can bring lasting peace in the region.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
The BJP legislators, however, claimed that repeated attempts aimed at reconciliation with the hostile neighbour by the top leadership of the country have only been responded with terror attacks. As such, they claimed, “terror and talks cannot go together.”
During discussion on the grants of various departments headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Sagar blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the communal clashes happening across the country, claiming, the BJP supports “Godse’s idea of India” while his party, the National Conference, supports the “Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of India”.
“You want only one kind of flowers to bloom in the garden but that is not good for the health of this country,” Sagar said.
Specifically targeting the BJP MLA from Udhampur East Assembly segment, RS Pathania, Sagar said, “In your address, you mentioned about former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and PM Narendra Modi’s reconciliatory efforts with Pakistan. Let me tell you that dialogue is the only way out to bring lasting peace in the region.”
“This has always been our stand. Our respected leader, Dr Farooq Abdullah, had also given you a suggestion to hold dialogue with the Pakistan. I also request you to pursue this path with sincerity to see a change in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Sagar requested the UT’s BJP legislators to go to Delhi and convince the Centre about Dr Farooq Abdullah’s suggestion to hold dialogue with Pakistan.
“With the will of God, dialogue only will resolve our issues forever,” he said.
He also took on the BJP for downgrading Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
“While you say you respect Maharaja Hari Singh, you didn’t even listen to his own son, Dr Karan Singh, who described the splitting of J&K into two Union Territories as shameful.”
Sagar also attacked the BJP leader Balwant Singh Mankotia, MLA Chenani, for allegedly not respecting the late NPP leader, Prof Bhim Singh.
On this, Mankotia responded by blaming the NC Government of putting the former NPP leader in prison.
“You put him (Prof Bhim Singh) in prison for years and now you’re teaching me the morality. I don’t want your certification regarding my respect for the late NPP leader,” Mankotia said.
Earlier, BJP MLA from Udhampur East, RS Pathania, claimed that while Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s reconciliatory efforts with Pakistan were responded with Kargil war, wherein the country lost 500 soldiers, similar efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who went to Lahore uninvited to meet Nawaz Sharif, were responded with Pathankot attack.
“Let me tell this categorically to the treasury benches that terror and talks cannot go together,” Pathania said.
On initiating dialogue, he said, when the then Central Government initiated a process by sending a delegation to meet the late separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the latter closed his doors.
“I wonder how you people say no efforts were made to initiate dialogue?” asked Pathania.
RS Pathania also sought apology from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on behalf of his party leaders for repeatedly referring Maharaja Hari Singh as a “dictator”.
“You owe an apology on behalf of your party leaders for terming our revered Maharaja, who is respected equally in Kashmir and Jammu, as a dictator repeatedly.”
In his address, senior NC MLA from Eidgah Assembly segment, Mubarak Gul raised concern over the bogus claims of expenditure in the month of March. He said this practice should be checked.
Gul also raised concerns over the mushrooming of mining mafia over the last 10 years and sought a check on their (mafia’s) activity.
PDP legislator Mir Mohammad Fayaz claimed in his address that heavy polling in Kashmir was a befitting reply to BJP for scrapping the special status of the UT on August 5, 2019 and bifurcation of the region into two UTs.
BJP MLA from Billawar, Satish Sharma demanded district status for Billawar during discussion on grants. He also demanded that the 186 MW Ujh Multipurpose Project be executed expeditiously.
Sharma also demanded a Dogri channel for the promotion of the region’s language and culture.
The lone PC MLA Sajjad Gani Lone, in his address, claimed that the existing police verification procedure in the UT needs a review.
He claimed that he was shocked to see questions like “where have you been in the last five years?”, “who is your father-in-law?” in the verification form.
“I believe this is in CM’s control to review the procedure for verification and he should do this,” demanded Lone.
He also asked the Government to clear its stand on termination of several employees over the years.
“They (terminated employees) deserve a chance to be heard and the Government should clear its stand on their termination,” he said.
Lone also asked the Government to stop using the SDA and JDA for demolishing public properties in the region.
He said the “D” in SDA and JDA stands for Development and not demolition.
Lone also asked Government to review existing Industrial policy as according to him, it has defined hotel as a premises built only on 10 Kanals of the land.
“By this definition, 95% people of the region cannot construct a hotel as they cannot purchase 10 Kanals of land to construct a hotel.”
NC MLA Saifullah Mir demanded an Overseas Corporation to help around 10 lakh unemployed youth get employment opportunities outside J&K and abroad along with fixing of minimum wages for daily rated workers. NC MLA from Baramulla, Javed Beigh, expressed concern over what he described as a loot and plundering of J&K’s resources by “outsiders”.
He also demanded reservation for Kashmiri Pandits and Sikh community besides a dignified return of the Pandits to the Valley.
Beigh also claimed that the culture of Kashmir and Jammu is under-threat. As such, efforts should be made to protect the demographic change of the regions.
Congress MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone sought redressal of Civil Secretariat employees, transfer of power projects to UT from the Centre and conduct of Bar elections in Srinagar besides expressing concern over cumbersome procedure of police verifications.
PDP MLA Waheed ur Rehman Parra demanded that the existing media policy be either reviewed or scrapped as the policy, according to him, is more about censorship.
Referring to closure of Srinagar Press Club, he said, “Under the garb of this policy, an attempt was made to shoot the messenger and muzzle the voice of J&K.”
He sought a dignified return of Kashmiri Pandit community to their homeland and a transfer policy for the community employees.
Parra also demanded that the Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel be paid hardship allowance at par with CRPF and Army personnel.
BJP MLA from Reasi, Kuldeep Raj Dubey wished that the tourist facilities in his Constituency are brought on the map of Jammu and Kashmir and NC MLA Ajaz Jan condemned the alleged mistreatment of a woman in Kashmir’s Kulgam while demanding stern action against the responsible police man. Jan also demanded helicopter service for Buddha Amarnath yatris.
NC MLA from Banihal, Sajjad Shaheen, criticised the BJP for not speaking against the alleged plundering of resources in the region by people from outside the region.
Congress’ Peerzada Syed also discussed the issues of GAD, tourism and other departments in his address.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
