Srinagar: The BJP-led government at the Centre is “weakening the relationship” between the Union and Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah alleged Thursday. “Our party has never questioned the accession. We have always said that whatever we achieve, we will achieve from the Constitution of this country. But, under the Constitution, everyone has equal rights – of safety and security.
“(However), which Constitution do I talk about when my people are not protected, which flag do I talk about when these people (attackers) take refuge in the (national) flag and attack my people. What law do I talk about when your own chief minister does not uphold it,” he said, referring to attack on two Kashmiris in Lucknow on Wednesday. A group of men were seen on camera assaulting two Kashmiri youths in Daliganj locality in Uttar Pradesh’s capital city. The locals, however, rushed to their rescue and informed the police. The main accused, identified as Bajranj Sonkar, has been arrested.
The former chief minister was addressing a party function here where former PDP MLA Mohammad Shafi Wani joined the NC. Abdullah said the state’s relationship with the Union cannot be made stronger by choking the voice of the people.
“When questions arise, it is not my job to answer them, but yours (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and of your colleagues. You cannot keep J-K through conspiracies. The relationship of J-K with India cannot be made stronger by choking the voice of the people here. You are weakening this relationship,” he said.
The former chief minister said his grandfather and NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah had warned that Delhi will try to create leaders in every nook and corner of the valley so that the people of Kashmir do not talk in one voice.
“And that is really what is happening . Why is a third front being created in Kashmir only and not in Jammu? When youth come into politics in Kashmir, they create new parties which does not happen in Jammu or Ladakh. I cannot understand this. It seems all this is done intentionally,” he said.
Abdullah said Kashmir was being used as a laboratory for experiments by the Centre and assured the people “to foil such designs” once the party returns to power.
“Kashmir is being used as a laboratory for experiments. They mix this and that so that there is some smoke from anywhere and they do their work through these experiments. But, I hope elections take place as soon as possible and our party comes into power. Then, we will make sure all their plans are foiled,” he said.
Referring to the ban of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Abdullah said the crackdown on the organization would not help in improving the situation in the valley.
“There is well thought out plan to disturb the situation here. Everyone knows that NC and JeI have been at loggerheads but we have fought each other politically. We know that the action against them will not benefit the state. It was banned for five years in 1990, but it did not help improve the situation.
“The situation was better in 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014 (when Abdullah was the chief minister), but there was no ban on JeI. If only JeI is responsible for disturbing the situation, then how did the situation improve after 1995. In that case, the situation should not have improved,” he said.
The NC vice-president expressed hope that assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir would be announced along with the general elections to the Lok Sabha.
“We asked the Election Commission to conduct election in the state. This government is not concerned about the people. They take political decisions rather than care about the people. Every political party – whether the NC, the PDP or the Congress – have asked for immediate polls.
“We hope that when (general) elections are announced in a few days, assembly polls in J-K are also announced. It should be our endeavour to have a single party government in the state,” he said.