Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 30: All India Congress (I) Committee general secretary, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Ambika Soni said today that the Congress was committed to empowerment of Panchayats in the State and charged the BJP with trying to create situation of “instability and uncertainty’’ in the country by disrupting Parliament, leading to economic problem.
Speaking to reporters on her first visit to the State after taking the charge as AICC (I) general secretary, Incharge J&K, Ms Soni without referring to implementation of 73rd amendment in Jammu and Kashmir, said the Congress was committed to empowerment of Panchayats in the State.
On two days visit to Jammu, Ms Soni, former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, would tomorrow address the PCC (I) convention here along with Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad and PCC (I) president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz before returning to New Delhi.
While Prof Soz accompanied Ambika Soni today, Mr Azad will be reaching here tomorrow morning to join the party convention.
“We want adequate representation to women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir,’’ she said.
The Congress, a coalition partner in National Conference headed Government in the State, had earlier demanded implementation of 73rd amendment in Jammu and Kashmir. However, after a flat No from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Congress and National Conference had agreed to implement some provisions of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in the State Panchayati Raj Act. Despite constitution of several committees to identify the provisions to be implemented in the State Act, nothing has been done so far.
Accompanied by Prof Soz and Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Ambika Soni while replying to a question as to how would she rate performance of the NC-Congress coalition Government, she evaded a direct reply to assess working of the Government but said she had been receiving inputs on functioning of the Government in New Delhi during past about five years.
“I will share the inputs with the party leaders and decide whether they were right or wrong’’.
To a question on charges against Bapu Asaram, the veteran Congress leader said: “the law will take it own course. It (the law) is equal to all’’.
Snubbing the individual party leaders, who turned up at the Guest House along with their supporters seeking party mandate for 2014 Assembly elections, Ms Soni made it clear to them that she hadn’t come here to distribute party mandate.
Responding to question on economic crisis in the country and BJP’s memorandum submitted to President Pranab Mukherjee today seeking dissolution of Lok Sabha, the Congress leader charged the BJP with frequently disrupting Parliament and trying to create atmosphere of “instability and insecurity’’ in the country, thus, driving away the foreign investors.
“The BJP has never played the role of constructive opposition, which they should have. Instead, they have indulged in the politics of destruction, which is not good for the country. It is due to the situation created by the BJP that was driving foreign investors away, leading to investment crisis,’’ she said.
She added that the BJP being the principle opposition party should have given healthy suggestions to the Government but instead they were indulging “negative politics’’.
As far as the BJP’s demand for dissolution of Lok Sabha and early elections was concerned, Ambika Soni said the BJP should be ready to face the situation as the Parliament elections were not far away in normal course.
She said except for demanding resignation of UPA Government at the Centre and Congress ruled Governments in different States, the BJP has no other demand.
Ambika Soni said the Congress would appoint two Vice Presidents in the PCC (I) to act as bridge between the party workers and the Government so that works of the people were done.
Some of the Congress leaders, who came out after meeting Ambika Soni, said the Congress leader should have met them alone as they wanted to raise certain issues against the party Ministers, which they couldn’t do in the presence of the Ministers.
The Ministers of both Soz and Azad factions were present in the delegations’ meeting with Ambika Soni. Both Mr Azad and Prof Soz would be sharing the dais during the party convention here tomorrow, which is considered to be significant as both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the State were due to be held next year.
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