Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 13: Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today led a protest demonstration for the first time in life against what he said failure of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government on all fronts during their first 100 days in power. He along with his party leaders and workers broke the police barricade at Regal Chowk to reach city Centre Lal Chowk.
Hundreds of workers of main opposition National Conference (NC), led by working president and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, today took to streets alleging failure of the coalition Government to deliver.
The NC workers, who had come from different parts of the Valley, assembled at SK Park near here and marched through Residency Road, Regal Chowk and dispersed at the historic Lal Chowk.
Raising anti-coalition Government slogans, the NC workers were carrying party flags during the march. The adequate security arrangements was put in place to prevent any untoward incident since large number of NC leaders, including General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, former Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone and Mir Saifullah, besides former Speaker Mubarak Gul participated in the protest march.
Omar alleged that PDP-BJP has totally failed on all fronts during its 100 day rule in the State. He described both PDP and BJP as U-turn parties adding for the lust of power, both of them compromised with their known stands on different issues.
“PDP would promise relief to flood-hit during poll campaigns but the sad part is while Govt had come, relief remains elusive”, the NC working president said.
The former Chief Minister said the State Government has totally failed to come to the rescue of victims of last year’s floods. This was the first such protest march by the NC since it lost power in the State in 2014 elections
Omar while targeting PDP told the rally: “I had not lent my support (to PDP) because I was power hungry. I had power for six years and was ready to sit in the opposition. But I was worried that you (Mufti) wanted to join your hands. The RSS would prove to be a deadly poison for the State. And it is really getting proved today.”
Taking another swipe at Mufti, Omar said the Chief Minister seems to believe that Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan was the solution to every problem in the State. “We (Omar Government) had brought tourists here. Mufti made a flood announcement and tourism wound up from the State. There is no one staying in hotels or shikaras. No one is coming here but Mufti went to Mumbai to get Shahrukh Khan here. He seems to think that Khan is the solution to every problem here. Had it really been that, I would have myself said that Khan should be made the Chief Minister of this State. What is the benefit of Mufti then?” asked the former CM.
Omar said that his Government’s Rs 44,000 crore flood package was shrugged off and literally downplayed by Deputy CM, Dr Nirmal Singh. He also expressed his concern over the inroads being made by RSS and BJP in Kashmir. “All decisions regarding Jammu and Kashmir happen first in Nagpur, then with Modi ji and then here. Earlier, State’s capital was Srinagar and Jammu now it is Nagpur as all directions to Mufti come from Nagpur,” he said.
The National Conference working president while targeting the BJP said:”These days various orders are being given. Many have indulged in looting of forest produce. It has happened in Kashmir, Ladakh, Kargil and Jammu as well. But when you start an inquiry, you take the names of only a few areas in Jammu. Why? You know it fully. It is only RSS agenda to evict Muslims from there. This is their politics. We will not let this to succeed”.
Omar trained guns at Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, for his “terrorist killing terrorist” remark and alleged that it has triggered a killing spree in Sopore in North Kashmir.
“His remark of killing militants by militants has already shown ugly results in Sopore where a killing spree has started,” the NC working president told the protest rally at Srinagar’s Regal Chowk. Other than attacks on telecom towers, four civilian killings has spread a wave of terror in north Kashmir’s Sopore.
Former Chief Minister also castigated Mufti for taking U-turn on AFSPA, political prisoners and other poll promises. “Today, we have hit the road to send a strong message that we won’t let the Government to backtrack from its poll promises,” he said.
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