Mudassir Kuloo
Srinagar, July 16: With the government announcing panchayat polls this year, senior National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the situation was not “conducive” for elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is unjustified to ask voters to come out for vote when people are getting killed. We will tell Governor to consider the security situation before announcing dates for elections,” Omar said in his address while presiding over party’s provincial committee meeting at the party headquarters here. “Governor Sahab should consider security situation before holding panchayat polls in the state. It is not parliamentary or assembly polls. In panchayat elections around 6000 candidates would contest the polls and its effect could be then seen in parliamentary and assembly polls,” the former chief minister.
He asked the party workers and leaders to hold small meetings.
“After election dates are announced, we will decide on candidates. We are not afraid of any party or third party. Let the elections be conducted, we will show our strength and defeat their (opponents) conspiracies,” he said.
The State Administrative Council (SAC) chaired by the Governor N N Vohra last week approved the proposal to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989.
Under the amendment, the elections of Sarpanches of Halqa Panchayats will be conducted directly by the electorate of Halqa Panchayats and not by indirect method of electing Sarpanches from among the Panches themselves. The SAC also directed the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj to initiate the process of holding elections to Panchayats in consultation with the Chief Electoral Officer, J&K.
Reacting to the statement of PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti that militants like Syed Salahudin and Yasin Malik will “emerge” if Delhi caused a split in PDP, Omar said that militancy has “rebirth” in her rule.
“She is threatening the Centre with renewed militancy if PDP breaks up. Under whose rule, 207 militants were killed last year. Under whose regime, Kashmir University assistant professor and Aligarh Muslim University student, army man, policemen, picked up guns,” he asked.
Omar said that NC had sought delaying of assembly polls after the 2014 floods hit the state. “We wanted proper rehabilitation of flood victims but other parties were adamant of holding assembly polls. What happened to relief in three-and-a-half-year PDP-BJP rule? What happened to dredging and flood channel? We face flood like situation even by slight rainfall,” Omar said.
He said that PDP did not fulfill the promises it made with people before the elections. “The PDP would talk about dialogue with people of Kashmir and Pakistan and strengthening of JK special status. What happened to Agenda of Alliance of the PDP-BJP alliance,” he asked.
He claimed that people were “celebrating” the end of the PDP-BJP government. “People from both Kashmir and Jammu welcomed the end of the alliance. Nobody will pick the guns because of fall of the PDP-BJP government instead people celebrated it,” he said.
Senior NC leaders including party’s General Secretary, Ali Mohammad Sagar, and Sheikh Mustafa Kamal were also present on the occasion.
Omar admitted that NC-Congress made several mistakes in their rule.
“We did not hide our mistakes or blame anybody. Our mistakes led to 2010, but we learned from our mistakes, so there was not a single civilian death in 2011,” he said.
“The situation was peaceful between 2011 and 2014. Tourists came here and panchayat and Assembly elections were held.”
He said Mehbooba’s government “weakened the special position of the state with implementation of several Acts”.
“Her brother, Tasaduq Mufti, was right in saying that PDP was party to crime what happened in JK since 2015,” he said.
On Mehbooba’s recent statement that out of his 56-inch chest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to spare 1-inch for people of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said, “Why was she silent when heading the PDP-BJP government? We have been saying that Kashmir is a political issue and it cannot be solved through packages.”
