PDP's refusal 'very unfortunate for J&K': Govt
SYED ALI SAFVI
SRINAGAR, July 11: Legislators of ruling NC-Congress coalition partners today threw their full weight behind chief minister, Omar Abdullah, asserting that they support all the decisions taken by the beleaguered chief minister.
Expressing full confidence and faith in Omar Abdullah, the members, who met here today under the chairmanship of the chief minister, unanimously passed various resolutions aimed at bringing back peace to the besieged valley.
Flanked by his father and union minister, Farooq Abdullah, and J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz, the chief minister, who was dressed up very casually in white kurta pajama, expressed deep regret over a spate of civilian killings in the past few weeks.
Senior Congress leader and minister for PHE, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, told Kashmir Times that the meeting reviewed the prevailing volatile situation in most parts of the valley.
"It is a sensitive issue, and a group of ministers has been keeping a close watch on the happenings," he said.
Asked about state's principal opposition People's Democratic Party's refusal to attend all-party meet convened by the chief minister, scheduled to be held tomorrow, Taj said that the PDP had always stayed back whenever the state faced crisis.
"It is in their (PDP leadership) wisdom. We can not force anyone," he said. "No less a person than the PM had invited them. We can't do anything, but lament."
He said that by extending invitation to the PDP leadership the state government had done its job.
"It would have been good on their part had they accepted the invite," he said. "They should come forward and give suggestions and show us the way."
Terming PDP's decision to turn down PM's suggestion vis-…-vis attending the high-level all-party meet as "unfortunate for J&K state", Taj said that it was now left for the people to decide which party was right.
"People are the best judges," he said, brushing aside the speculation that the PDP's move would cause serious setback to government's efforts of building a political consensus to tackle the prevailing volatile situation in the valley.
He said that PDP had also skipped the all-party meet convened by the chief minister in March this year, to discuss employees' demands.
"It is the duty of the opposition to oppose, and that's what PDP is doing, criticizing the government for the heck of it," he said.
Giving details about today's high-level meeting, Taj said the meeting expressed sympathies with the bereaved families of all those who were killed in different incidents in the valley. He said that the government would provide help and relief to the victims' families.
The meeting appealed to the denizens of the state, particularly of the valley, irrespective of the political shade they belong to, to extend their cooperation in bringing back peace and normalcy to the valley.
Appreciating the steps taken by the state government "in its sincere desire of restoring peace", the legislators urged the people to extend their support, asserting that the public support would go a long way in protecting the life and property and restoring peace in the valley.
The meeting also resolved that the government would put in place an appropriate mechanism to address the "grievances and problems of the people in a more vibrant systematic, regular and time bound manner, which will be viewed and reviewed from time to time by the government".
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