Mir Iqbal
Hathlangoo (Sopore), Dec 6: Former Chief Minister and leader of opposition in the Upper House of the Parliament, Ghulam Nabi Azad, while launching scathing attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, said that the latter failed to do his duty as he slept over the issues.
Azad while addressing an election rally here in restive Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today said that the Congress supported Omar to preside over the cabinet for full six years, but at the end of the term he is criticizing Congress leadership. “It was unfortunate that Omar having been presiding over Government and Cabinet with full support from Congress for full six years started criticizing”, he added.
The Congress leader accused Omar of failing to do his duty as Chief Minister by sleeping over the issues. “When he himself slept over these issues then who would have done his duty?” he asked.
Azad said that if the Congress leaders were corrupt, Omar should have sacked them as “I did in my tenure”. “If my ministers were corrupt why he (Omar) didn’t sack them? When I was CM, I sacked two of my party leaders from their posts for their mistakes,” he said.
The star campaigner of Congress for the ongoing assembly elections said that Omar’s criticism of Congress does not suit him at the end of the coalition tenure. “Now the coalition Government is going to be over and to hide his weakness Omar started criticizing,” Azad said.
Azad asked Omar to scan his own functioning before pointing fingers at Congress. “Instead of finding faults in others you should scan your own functioning,” he suggested.
Questioning the role played by Omar as CM, Azad said why his plan of working in double and triple shifts to complete the developmental projects didn’t continue. “Tell me why working in double shifts was stopped in Omar’s tenure,” he said.
The Congress leader asked why his brainchild, the Anti-corruption law, was not properly implemented in the State. “Anti-corruption law was praised throughout the world and it was first such law to stop corruption, but Omar didn’t implement it,” he said.
Terming Congress party rule as golden period in the State, Azad said the State witnessed massive development in every field which benefitted every section of society. “Our rule was golden period for the State, as J&K witnessed massive development like huge network of roads, railway lines, hospitals and implementation of dozens of Centrally sponsored schemes in the State,” he said.
The former Chief Minister said that he as CM has carved out a road for developmental activities in the State, but their (NC’s) legs were not too strong. “These parties only know how to lay foundation stones, but they don’t know how to complete the projects within stipulated time,” he said. “Mere slogans don’t work, people are aware of these facts and they will not fall to these hollow slogans in the elections,” he said.
Lashing out at BJP Government at the Centre, Azad said Prime Minister Narendera Modi has stopped the funds for MGNREGA works in the State, that couldn’t only affect developmental works in the rural areas, but lakhs of employees would be rendered jobless.
The leader of opposition in Upper House appealed the people to participate in democratic process with full enthusiasm to defeat the vested interested persons. He criticized BJP for garnering support on religion and caste basis, and said Congress is the only secular party in the country that didn’t believe on religion or caste based politics. “Why Modi didn’t sack its two ministers despite their hate speeches against minority community,” he said.
Azad said that he was hopeful to form next Government in the State of their own without any support from any other political party.
The Congress leader addressed party rallies at different places including Hathlangoo, Rafiabad and Nowgam areas of Baramulla district. He was accompanied by Prof. Saif-ud-Din Soz, President J&K Pradesh Congress Committee, Ambika Soni, General Secretary In-Charge Congress Jammu and Kashmir and local party candidates.
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