Why Sonia cancelled Kashmir visit?

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, May 27: In a major setback to state government’s plans for development of a ‘model’ colony for Dal dwellers at Rakh Arath, Congress president and UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, has cancelled her Srinagar visit following reports that the Congress president had expressed displeasure over the state government’s decision to rehabilitate Dal dwellers at Rakh Arath Bemina.

Sonia was expected to arrive here on May 29 to lay foundation stone of the colony at Rakh Arath. However, she will keep her date with the people of Jammu. Sonia had also expressed desire to see the condition of Dal lake, the pollution level of which had her worried during her last visit to the Valley in October 2009.

After Kashmir Times exposed the state government’s blunder to build a colony for Dal dwellers on a wetland on May 24, Sonia had sent minister of state in the Prime Minister's office and Congress in-charge for J&K, Prithviraj Chavan, on May 25 to undertake a spot inspection of the colony at Rakh Arath.

According to J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) insiders, Chavan had visited Rakh Arath along with JKPCC president, Saif-ud-Din Soz and deputy chief minister, Tara Chand on the evening of May 25.

“After inspecting the site, as directed by Soniaji, Chavan expressed discontent over government decision to rehabilitate Dal dwellers at Rakh Arath,” they said. “Almost all the plots were inundated with flood water.”

They said after flying back to New Delhi, Chavan had briefed Sonia about the situation.

“Madam ji got annoyed and decided against inaugurating the colony,” they added.

According to sources close to the party, the internal bickering in JKPCC has also infuriated Sonia.

They said that deputy chief minister, Tara Chand, had not taken JKPCC president, Saif-ud-Din Soz on board before deciding to invite the Congress president.

“Since Sonia has ignored the invitation of Tara Chand, it has sent out a strong message to those elements who want to weaken the leadership of JKPCC,” they said.

The party sources asserted that the deputy chief minister should have taken Soz into confidence before sending invitation to the party president. They said the partymen had prepared buntings, banners and flags, for Sonia’s visit.

Senior JKPCC leader, Ghulam Nabi Monga said, “We were very excited and enthusiastic about her visit, but now the enthusiasm has all of a sudden died down.” Monga said that

However, Sonia will keep her date with people of Jammu where she is expected to inaugurate a tribal cultural centre. According to sources, she is expected to have lunch at Ritz hotel with JKPCC president and other party leaders. Same day she will return back to Delhi.

She is also expected to hold deliberations with JKPCC leaders to end the intensifying feud within the party. Recently, the JKPCC has been in news for wrong reasons only. JKPCC camp is split into two factions – Azad’s loyalists and Soz’s loyalists - and with each passing day the divide grows deeper and wider. Of late, Soz’s decision of accepting Kuka Parray’s son into the party fold had annoyed Azad’s loyalists.

The verbal attacks did not remain confined to the Congress camp only. A series of verbal fights had ensued between senior NC and Congress leaders on different platforms in the recent past. It had all started when union minister and president NC, Farooq Abdullah, had, at a function, targeted bete-noire People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for attacking NC and not Congress over the issue of Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

Farooq’s statement had not gone down well with Congress leaders, who were annoyed with senior Abdullah’s “unacceptable” statement.

In wake of all these developments, Sonia’s visit holds much significance.

Talking to a local news agency, Tara Chand said that he had not been personally informed about the decision, but he had come to know that Sonia had cancelled her Kashmir visit owing to her personal engagements.

“She would be visiting Kashmir in near future,” he said.

Pertinently, the colony (at Rakh Arath) inauguration by Sonia Gandhi had run into rough weather following reports that any type of construction was not feasible at Rakh Arath since it is basically a wetland.

Experts believe that Rakh Arath project would prove to be a disaster. They are of the opinion that construction of concrete structures is not technically viable at Rath Arath, covering thousands of kanals of wet land.