Good old days!CM intervenes, seeks to strengthen alliance
SYED ALI SAFVI
SRINAGAR, May 20: Following series of verbal spats between Congress and National Conference (NC) leaders, chief minister, Omar Abdullah, today himself intervened and urged NC activists to strengthen the bond of NC-Congress coalition at grass root level.
The chief minister’s statement comes in the back drop of a series of arguments and counter-arguments between senior NC and Congress leaders on different platforms in the recent past.
It all started when union minister and president NC, Farooq Abdullah, had at a function, targeted beta-noire People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for attacking NC and not Congress over the issue of Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
“Why does not Mufti Mohammad Sayeed or PDP point fingers towards Congress. It was PDP leadership which backed Nehruji to sign the treaty while Sheikh Sahib was put behind the bars,” Farooq had said during Gram Sabha rally on Mar 13, 2010.
Farooq’s statement had not gone down well with Congress leaders, who were annoyed with senior Abdullah’s “unacceptable” statement.
If Farooq’s statement was not enough to upset the NC-Congress bonhomie, soon his brother and MLA Hazratbal, Dr Mustafa Kamal, and NC MP, Mehboob Beg, jumped on the band wagon, only to make the matters worse. Lashing out at Congress leadership, Kamal had said that it was NC that resurrected Congress in Kashmir.
“The present coalition is the best of a bad bargain,” he had told a vernacular daily. “The fact of matter is that Congress is hanging on to us. NC is a veteran party of Kashmir. Congress only won three seats from Kashmir.” Kamal had also said that the coalition was floating on “uneasy waters”.
After situation seemed to be slipping out of control, it was left to Farooq to do much needed damage control exercise.
Farooq asserted that the two leaders were not eligible to issue statements on behalf of the party. Brushing aside reports of cracks in the coalition, Farooq said that the coalition government in the state was working in close harmony and there were no differences between the partners.
Miffed over NC leadership’s assault on Congress, senior Congress leader and former minister, Abdul Gani Vakil, known for his PDP bashing, cautioned the chief minister against the activities of some elements trying to weaken the coalition government.
Terming the statements of Kamal and Beg “unfortunate”, Vakil said, “Such utterances are against the spirit with which UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi handed over the reigns of power in Jammu and Kashmir to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.”
“I am unable to understand the compulsions of these leaders which are forcing them to issue such statements,” he asserted. “NC leaders must take a lesson from Congress on how to respect the sentiments of a coalition government.”
In wake of all these developments, the chief minister today asked NC district leaders and party activists to strengthen the bonds of NC-Congress coalition at grassroots, making the people aware of the gigantic development programme the state has embarked upon under present dispensation for fast track and holistic development of all the regions of the state and its people.
Omar was addressing NC office holders of Kupwara district here.
He told the party activists to blunt the propaganda of opponents by apprising the people about the facts and developments of the past and taking place presently.
“Your opponents are misleading people on various issues and try to led astray young generation by playing politics of falsehood besmearing the historical facts,” he said and urged upon NC activists to present factual scenario of events before the people and apprise the young generation about the sacrifices made and hardships tolerated by National Conference and its leadership time and again to uphold the public cause and the interests of J&K state.
Omar asked the NC activists and office bearers to “girdle their loins” and work hard to realize the goal of Naya Kashmir.
“You have to rejuvenate the enthusiasm and determination in people at grass roots and involve them in the stupendous task of nation building,” he said, adding that close rapport between young and experienced is imperative in this regard.
The chief minister reminded them of the glorious past of NC and the sacrifices made by its leadership to salvage the people and safeguard their rights.
“Sher-i-Kashmir and his colleagues have passed on a rich legacy of selfless public service to us to inherit and impressed upon NC office bearers to propagate and disseminate the high principles of public commitment,” he said.
He said that NC had witnessed many vicissitudes but the party and its activists held the ground firmly and came out victorious always.
“We have to carry forward our legacy and mannerism and reach all sections of the society for redressal of grievances and socio-economic betterment,” he said, adding that the coalition government is working in tandem to seek equitable development of all areas of the state.
Advisors to Chief Minister, Mubarak Gul and Devender Singh Rana, Minister of State for Housing and PHE, Nasir Aslam Wani, Parliament Member, Sharief-ud-Din Shariq, legislators, district president NC Kupwara, Ch Mohammad Ramzan, Mir Saif ullah, Kafil-ur-Rehman former legislator Jamshed Lone also spoke on the occasion.
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