Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 9: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, today said that the issues like Sainik Colony is being raked up again and again to cause disruption of normal life at a time when the weather in Kashmir has improved and tourists have started flocking in.
Mehbooba while speaking to the reporters on the occasion of re-opening of the Civil Secretariat here, targeted former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sainik Colony issue and hoped that the documents he as referred to on Sainik Colony issue are right unlike the 2010 picture which he tweeted recently during protests over killing of five persons in Kupwara. She made it clear that no land has been allotted for the Sainik Colony by the Government.
Reacting to former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s charge that official documents “prove it beyond any reasonable doubt” that the process of identification of land for such colony was initiated twice in 2015 and 2016 by successive PDP-BJP coalition Government’s led by Mufti Sayeed and Chief Minister said no power can go against the special status of the State. “Omar Sahib has remained Chief Minister of this State, knows that no power can change the special status of Jammu and Kashmir whether it is Chief Minister of the State or even if it is Prime Minister, he can’t go against it’, she said.
Mehbooba said that the local Sainiks are demanding Sainik Colony but no land has been allotted for it. “As far as Sainik Colony issue is concerned, this issue is being raised again and again and an atmosphere is being created. First of all no land has been allotted for it, but there is a demand from the local service men, not outsiders, whether they are from Baramulla, Kupwara or Kathua and living in other parts of the State, the State subjects. They have a demand that they should be provided land and so far Government has not allotted any land for them”, she added.
Mehbooba hoped that Omar who posted some documents on Sainik Colony issue are right unlike last time when the posted a picture of 2010 in which a police man was being beaten by protesters. “I hope, Omar Sahib, the issue he has raised yesterday. He is not an ordinary man, he has remained Chief Minister of the State. You must be remembering that recently he posted a picture of 2010 on his twitter, which was of his tenure and in that picture a police man was being beaten. I hope this time he didn’t repeat this mistake because he has referred to some paper. I hope his papers are right”, she said.
Chief Minister said that during winters the situation in Kashmir is normal and when it comes to summer and tourists start arriving, the rumors are being spread and some controversial issues are raked up. “I don’t understand that during winters the situation is normal and during summer when weather improves and tourists start arriving and I thank Allah the tourism is doing well and a shopkeeper has to do his business and at that time these rumors are being spread that some times, NIIT, NEET and sometimes the issue of Sainik Colonies, why are they doing such things”, she asked.
Mehbooba appealed people not give ear to the rumors and said that she along with others is duty bound for the protection of special status of the State. “I appeal to people, we have taken a pledge to safe guard the special status of the State. It is not PDP or Mehbooba Mufti, whosoever comes to the Assembly is duty bound, just like he takes pledge on Indian constitution, pledge is being taken in State Constitution. People should not give ear to such rumors and they should do their work. They should give us opportunity to work for them and bring out Jammu and Kashmir from the problems it is facing”, she said.
Chief Minister said that she along with others who are elected, take oath on Constitution of the State to protect its special status. “I want to tell you that my father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, made a historic, difficult decision. He didn’t do this to harm the special status of Jammu and Kashmir but to strengthen it. We all, including BJP, take pledge on the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and India when we come to this Secretariat and Assembly”, she added.
“Till we are here, the main stream parties, who take oath on the constitution and I feel Omar Sahib like people who has been Chief Minister of the State should not get into this temptation”, said Mehbooba.
In the meantime, feigning ignorance about the proposal of establishing of Sainik Colony in Kashmir, the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh today said the issue is being raked up to derail the functioning of coalition Government but added that there is no harm in establishing colony for ex-servicemen who are State-subjects.
“See, we fail to understand what this whole issue is about. There is no such proposal in our minds… This is clear provocation. If any colony is established in Jammu and Kashmir, be it in Jammu, Ladakh or Kashmir, only State-subjects can live there and only they can get a house,” he told reporters here on the sidelines of a party function.
Dr Singh said if there is any such proposal of establishing Sainik Colony then only those retired Army men can live there who are State-subjects of Jammu and Kashmir. “But trying to convey that people from whole of India are being settled is clear provocation. This provocation is being done to derail the Government’s functioning,” he said. However, he said there is no such proposal before the Government.
When asked about the document wherein Deputy Commissioners of Srinagar and Budgam were directed to identify the land for the Sainik Colony, the Deputy Chief Minister said: “There won’t be anything pertaining to settlement of ex-servicemen from Kerala or Bengal here. There is a Sainik Colony in Jammu but only State-subjects reside there… there is Gujjar Colony but no Gujjar from Gujarat lives there.”
“In the same way if there is any proposal, I don’t know whether there is, if there is any such thing only State subjects can live there and this shouldn’t be made any political issue,” he said. “…this should not be made any political issue if there is any such move,” he said, adding that the issue being given political colour. “However no outsider can live here because there is a law (Article 370),” the Deputy CM added.
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