Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 2: Former Minister and senior National Conference leader A R Rather today alleged that by forging an alliance with BJP on a Common Minimum Programme, PDP patron and Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed has fulfilled only his personal aspirations and not of people of the State.
“Contrary to their tall claims and slogans, the CMP between PDP and BJP has nothing to offer like addressing political aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir but only six-year full term for Mufti Sayeed,” he said while addressing a hurriedly called press conference at the NC headquarters, here today.
While elaborating, Mr Rather said that there was no mention of PDP’s Self Rule or some concessions in the CMP document, which only talks of status quo on Article 370. “Getting an assurance of status quo on Article 370 is not an achievement of PDP because BJP had already abandoned the issue in Assembly elections,” he explained and termed this special clause as Constitutional impossibility since its abrogation by President of India needs consent of the Constituent Assembly, which is a thing of past now.
The NC leader even claimed that the assurance of status quo would have adverse implications on proposals like Greater Autonomy, which was passed by the State Legislature in 2000. “By getting an assurance of status quo in CMP, PDP is not obliging J&K but compromising with aspirations of the people,” he alleged.
Accompanied by NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana, A R Rather accused PDP of befooling masses on all major issues in the CMP, like AFSPA, settlement of refugees, Rangrajan Committee recommendations, restructuring of Chenab Valley Power Projects Corporation, Delimitation Commission, land under occupation of security forces, allotment of coal block etc.
“As the CMP document says that the Government will examine the need for de-notifying Disturbed areas to enable the Union Government to take a final view on continuation of Armed Forces Special Power Act, does it mean that PDP was demanding withdrawal of AFSPA without examining need for the same?” the NC leader asked.
Reiterating the party stand that citizenship right to West Pakistan refugees was not possible, he said that as far as sustenance of the community was concerned, the previous Government had already recommended a comprehensive package for them. “Decision of State High Court on delimitation of Assembly constituencies has been upheld by the apex court while the Centre has already sanctioned a coal block for the State around three years back,” he added.
When asked about his reaction on Mufti Sayeed’s remark that Pakistan, Hurriyat and militants allowed peaceful Assembly elections in J&K, Rather only said that if the PDP patron did not want to give credit to people of the State, he could say nothing on the same.
During the press conference, the NC leaders also pointed out that the CMP document was printed in the State Printing Press even before the coalition Government came into existence. “How is it possible that within an hour of taking oath, the Government got the CMP document printed from State Press and distributed the same among media”? he asked while raising a question mark on the claims of transparency by the new regime.
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