Abdullahs’ continuous detention not in favour of India: NC

Srinagar, Mar 6: National Conference senior leader and Member of Parliament Muhammad Akbar Lone Friday said that continuous detention of Abdullahs was “not in favour of India”.
Referring to the prolonged detention of party president Farooq Abdullah, vice president Omar Abdullah and others, Lone said their constant absence from the political landscape of J&K was “not in favour of the country in general and J&K in particular.”
“By denigrating mainstream politics in Kashmir, the incumbent government has created a dangerous vacuum reversing all the gains of the past two decades,” he said while addressing party workers and functionaries from north Kashmir at his Srinagar residence.
The MP from north Kashmir said NC had to “shoulder the coffins of its scores of leaders and thousands of workers to reinstate the faith of people in democracy and rule of law”.
“The diplomatic edge of the country at international forms vis-à-vis has also incurred heavy dents,” he added.
Lone said the incarceration of “tall representative voices”, former chief ministers, and sitting Member of Parliament “is not a good omen”.
“The measures of central government have delegitimized everything the mainstream politics in Kashmir stood for. By detaining Farooq Abdullah, a sitting Member of Parliament the central government has sent clear signals of its contempt for Kashmiri representation,” he said.
“It is disrespectful to have a sitting member of parliament, whom former PM Late Mr Vajpayee had referred to as third party to Kashmir in confinement. One is at its wits end to ascertain what good will serve it to push genuine people’s representatives to wall, crowding them out. Furthermore any political process in J&K minus NC is not credible.”
Addressing the workers, Lone said that the development activity in Kashmir has been “thrown to wind.”
He said the woes of people have deepened on account of government’s failure to tackle with them.
Lone said that NC has faced various turbulent times, but each time it has “resurfaced and resurrected” owing to the “close bond of trust” it shares with the people of J&K.
“At present J&K is in the throes of crisis. The representative voices continue to remain incarcerated and those outside are not being looked up to while taking decisions. Every day we see how far reaching measures and administrative decisions are taken. What is being done in J&K is not compatible with democracy,” he said.
On the occasion, visiting delegations apprised him about various issues concerning their area.
He said every single sector of J&K, ranging from manufacturing to services sector, has incurred heavy losses and that the government is “not working” towards proving succor to the affected traders, businessmen, orchardists, marginal farmers, contractors.
“In no way can air dropped people be a substitute to people’s representatives. What holds good for rest of the country cannot hold wrong in J&K. There is no accountability on ground here, the infrastructure development hasn’t seen any flip since 2015. All the sources of employment in private sector, tourism industry have shrunk to alarming levels, not to talk about jobs in public sector. The government is sending money to J&K in piece meals. The other day only Rs150 Cr were released for education sector out of the total allocated budgetary amount of Rs 3000 Cr for the purpose,” he said.