Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Aug 11: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley’s visit to Jammu was politically motivated and blamed that some political parties are trying to create 2008 like situation ahead of Parliament and Assembly elections for vote bank politics.
While addressing a hurriedly arranged press conference at SKICC in Srinagar before leaving for curfew bound Jammu, Omar appealed people not to fall prey to the propaganda of the vested interests and rumour mongers. “With an eye on elections, that are due next year, some political parties want to flare up the tension to polarize the society”, he added.
“I want to make direct appeal to people to maintain peace and tranquility as I know political parties have their own agenda and interests and my words will fall flat on deaf ears”, the Chief Minister said.
Omar said Hindus and Muslims and other sections of the society have lived in peace and togetherness in the past and they have to live like brothers in future.
Without naming Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said some political parties want to polarize the situation, and create 2008 and 2010 like situations for their vested interest and vote bank politics.
“The role of these political parties in 2008 tension is before you. They want to create similar situation by exploiting the sentiments of the people and dividing them on communal grounds now also. Instead of extending helping hand to the Government to restore calm and tranquillity, they try to fuel the fire for vested interests”, Omar said.
The Chief Minister said though he does not blame any political party for initial clashes between two groups of people at Kishtwar but some parties always want to take advantage of these interests for vote bank politics. He questioned the BJP leader Arun Jaitley’s visit to Jammu at this point in time and said that this is politically motivated and not to help the administration to restore situation.
Omar said there are numerous examples of clashes between Hindus and Muslims elsewhere in the country where BJP did not sent their leadership. He questioned the strategy of BJP of sending their leaders only Jammu and Kashmir and particularly to the Jammu belt in such situations. “This is only aimed at polarizing the situation for political reasons. Why didn’t it send its leaders to the areas of Budgam when there was clash between two groups of Muslims?”
Omar said that no leader of any political party would be allowed to visit Kishtwar or any other troubled areas as it would flare up the tension between the two communities. He said that some political parties in such situations keep political benefits above human interests.
He said that his Government would take all measures to foil the designs of vested interests in transferring the tension from Kishtwar, where “we have been able to bring the situation under control, to other parts of the Jammu division”.
Omar said that the Administration after observing that local police and para-military forces were not in a position to control the situation, made a written request for the help of Army to the civil Administration in restoring peace and law and order situation in Kishtwar.
“Within hours despite many odds, the Army conducted flag march in Kishtwar town and situation was controlled before nightfall”, Chief Minister said adding that some political parties try to expand the tension to other parts of Jammu, Reasi and Rajouri which made the Administration to call Army to the help of civil Administration in these areas.
Omar said that the priority of the Government is to restore peace and tranquility and control the situation in the clash-hit areas and then come other issues. He said the local Administration in such situations make decisions to allow media, political leaders and others in the troubled areas.
The Chief Minister said that Government has already initiated enquiry into the incident of clashes between two groups at Kishtwar. “Culprits behind the clashes and destruction of property would be booked and will be punished without any consideration”, he added.
“I want to assure the people that we would do everything necessary to ensure that this trouble does not spread to other parts of State. We will also do everything necessary to restore calm and maintain calm in Kishtwar and surrounding areas,” he added.
He said he will ensure that the facts of the enquiry ordered by the State Government into the Kishtwar clashes are made known to the people.
“…As to how the situation developed, whether there were any administrative lapses, and if there were any lapses, who were responsible, and swift action will follow.
“We will also ensure that any people responsible for the deaths and damage to property in Kishtwar and in other areas will be brought to book and the most severe punishment will be handed out to them,” he said.
Omar said he would be very open to the participation of the politicians if they had come with the intention of helping to improve the situation.
In response to a question about possibility of disarming the Village Defence Committee, Omar said these committees were set up with the only aim of combating militancy.
“A decision on this will be taken by the police administration,” he said.
Omar said the authorities were also mulling the possibility of asking the people to deposit all the licensed weapons in their nearest police station.
“However, there are many unlicensed weapons also out there as one gun shop was looted (by the mobs) in Kishtwar on the first day of the clashes,” he said.
The Chief Minister dismissed suggestions that the administration was lax in responding to the clashes saying the procedures laid down had to be followed.
“As much as we wish that things could be done by snapping fingers, it cannot happen. When the Deputy Commissioner felt that police and paramilitary personnel are not able to handle the situation as they were outnumbered, he sent a formal request to the Army for flag march as laid down in the constition.
“The request had to be approved by army headquarters and troops needed to be mobiliSed which takes some time. The fact that we were able to restore calm within hours, before fall of the night, is indicative of the swiftness of the action,” he said.
As the row continues over the killing of five soldiers in Poonch district Omar said Pakistan should stop violating the ceasefire agreement it has with India along the Line of Control (LoC).
“Whether the ceasefire violation is being done to trigger greater infiltration, (or) to distract attention from the failures of their own administration, I can’t say. But it is something we want they (Pakistan) should stop,” Omar said.
Omar said Pakistan should follow the terms of the ceasefire agreed between the two countries in November, 2003.
“Given the agreement… About a ceasefire along the LoC, we want Pakistan to follow it,” he said.
“As far as ceasefire violations are concerned, obviously they are a matter of concern for us. Any tension along the LoC is detrimental to the interests of J-K as a whole and, in particular, to those who live in the area,” he said.
“The fact is that the ceasefire violations are largely taking place at the behest of Pakistan. It is not India that is violating the ceasefire, it is Pakistan that is violating the ceasefire and forcing India to respond,” he added.
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