SYED ALI SAFVI
SRINAGAR, May 21: Even as chief minister, Omar Abdullah, yesterday himself intervened to put an end to series of verbal spats between Congress and National Conference (NC) leaders, senior Congress leader and MLC, Abdul Gani Vakil, continued to spit venom at some elements trying to weaken the coalition government.
Lashing out at those leaders who were making statements viz NC-Congress coalition government, Vakil, while speaking at a function at Nagrota to commemorate the 19th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, said that only Congress president and UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, were eligible to speak about fate of ongoing Congress-NC alliance.
Without naming his beta noire and J&K Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz, Vakil said that Congress was a democratic party and no Tom, Dick and Harry had any right to comment on its future.
Pertinently, Soz, while obliquely referring to NC party symbol, had recently stated that ‘hand’ (Congress symbol) was vital for ploughing.
Brushing aside reports of friction between two coalition partners, Soz had asserted that “all is well” with the coalition government.
The war of words between senior NC and Congress leaders has been hogging the headlines for quite a long time now.
Talking to Kashmir Times, Vakil said that some leaders from both sides were trying to weaken the alliance.
“The alliance will complete its full term and there are possibilities that NC and Congress may even contest the next assembly elections together,” he said.
The rivalry between Soz and Vakil is not something new. Vakil has often been at loggerheads with Soz on different issues. When Soz was catapulted into helm of affairs of J&K-PCC, Vakil was not happy with the decision, and on more than one occasion he also publicly showed his displeasure.
JKPCC camp is split into two factions – pro Soz and pro-Azad - and with each passing day the divide is growing deeper and wider.
When senior Congress leader and union minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, had visited the state in April, he did not meet Soz. The two leaders had come face to face with each other at Royal Springs Golf Course, but they had not even exchanged a single word.
Pertinently, Vakil is believed to be very close to Azad.
The decision of Soz to accept Kuka Parray’s son into the party fold had annoyed Azad’s loyalists so much so that they publicly castigated Soz’s decisions, and blamed him for the internal strife within the Congress camp.
At today’s function, Vakil said that Congress high command had repeatedly talked of strengthening NC-Congress alliance and it was the responsibility of every Congressman to abide by these directives.
“NC-Congress coalition would last its full term and even may contest the next assembly elections together,” he said. “Two nationalist forces have no reason to part ways. We have been together in the past and in the present changed scenario, we have no option but to stick together.”
He also asked the chief minister to set up an independent commission to probe into assets of both present and former ministers, MLAs, MLCs and MPs.
“I volunteer myself. Let my assets, I have made during my entire career, be scrutinised first,” he told Kashmir Times. “Corrupt leaders should be strictly dealt with.”
He had recently said that a number of ministers in Omar Abdullah’s cabinet, MPs, MLCs and MLAs besides a former Union Cabinet Minister and some former state ministers, were “neck deep in corruption.”
Paying homage to Rajiv Gandhi, Vakil said: “Rajivjee always wanted to see Jammu and Kashmir prosper. He had made Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his mother Shrimati Indira Gandhi as his role model and followed their footstep as prime minister of the country.”
Vakil said that Rajiv Gandhi increased government support for science and technology and associated industries, and reduced import quotas, taxes and tariffs on technology-based industries, especially computers, airlines, defence and telecommunications.
Vakil said that Rajiv Gandhi introduced measures significantly reducing Licence Raj, allowing businesses and individuals to purchase capital, consumer goods and import without bureaucratic restrictions besides announcing a National Policy on Education to modernize and expand higher education programs across India in 1986.
Others who paid homage to Rajiv Gandhi included Minister of State for cooperatives Dr. Manohar Lal, Chief Jammu and Kashmir Seva Dal, Balvinder Singh Sambhyal and ex-minister, Gharu Ram.
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