Omar tears into govt for ‘surrendering’ before separatists
NC chief says PDPBJP govt is a failure on all fronts; also asks govt to clarify Dineshwar Sharma’s role
National Conference working president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday tore into the People’s Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (PDP-BJP) government for “surrendering” before separatists in J&K.
Speaking in the state assembly, Omar labelled Mehbooba’s government a “failure” on all fronts and said it was for the first time since 1996 that parliamentary bypolls to Anantnag couldn’t be held. “Despite intelligence and other reports favouring the elections, you failed to conduct the polls. This is the first time that we have to bow before the Hurriyat Conference and other forces that have always been against the democratic exercise,” he said.
In his 37-minute long speech, the Beerwah MLA, started with governor NN Vohra’s two contradictory speeches—one a joint address to the state legislature on January 2, where he read the text approved by the government and another at Mufti Mohammed Sayeed memorial lecture on Monday, where he spoke his heart out. “During his speech, the governor found deficiencies in governance and hoped that government should focus on it,” he said, and added the governor’s open criticism of the coalition government was proof of its failures.
The junior Abdullah said in the last three years rule of PDPBJP combine, the situation worsened in every sphere. “Aap kis mooh se keh sakte hain ki halaat
behter hue hain (How could you say that the situation has improved), he asked the CM.
“Killing of over 200 militants last year was no parameter to improvement. ,” he said and mocked at the CM vis-à-vis pellet victims saying, “first you blind them with pellets and then give them jobs.”
QUESTIONS DINESHWAR SHARMA’S ROLE
Omar questioned actual role of Centre’s special representative on Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, and said his appointment has triggered confusion. He asked the government to clarify if Sharma was an interlocutor or a special representative or a spokesperson as different voices were coming from the governments at the centre and in the state on the issue.
People meet him for bijli, pani, sadak and naukari. He is meeting same people with whom you meet and this is not his job to ensure the same. For all these issues you are there,” Omar said.
COMMITTEE ON KALAKOTE MINES
Chairman of Jammu & Kashmir legislative council Haji Anayat Ali ordered setting up of house committee to probe into the matters related to coal mines of Kalakote along with issues of the workers of these mines, besides feasibility of resuming coal extraction.
OPPN PROTESTS OVER DINNER MEET
Opposition members in both the Houses of the state legislature created uproar over dinner attended by the assembly speaker and council chairman at a PDPBJP strategy meet on January 3, a day after budget session began. The dinner was hosted by CM Mehbooba Mufti. They raised slogans against speaker Kavinder Gupta and chairman Haji Anayat Ali for taking part in the dinner meeting and disrupted proceedings in both the houses.
The members walked into the well of the House and created ruckus amid high-pitched noisy scenes and disrupted the Question Hour.