Jasrotia, Pawan justify abrogation of Art 370
*Saifullah takes dig at BJP, PDP
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Feb 5: Jammu & Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) chief and MLA Handwara, Sajjad Gani Lone today took National Conference (NC) to task accusing it of compromising the post of Prime Minister of erstwhile J&K State with Chief Minister in 1975.
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Participating in debate on LG’s address in the Assembly today, Lone said Sheikh Abdullah got CM post on plate in 1975 despite being a tallest personality and still you blame Centre for everything. “National Conference is alleging that Centre is against them when they themselves compromised with Centre’s decisions,” he added.
He said “Who dislodged you in 1984 from power and still you joined hands with them in 1987 and later fought elections jointly,. I will not go deep what happened in those elections, it is evident and everyone knows”, he added.
Lone said Sheikh acknowledged the decision of Centre and accepted post of CM instead of PM. The PC leader wanted to know who supported POTA and brought Public Safety Act (PSA) in J&K.
He said in 1987 FIRs were registered against Yasin Malik. Also FIR was registered against Shabir Shah for pick pocketing as he never took gun.
He alleged that some people were not allowed to win the Assembly elections in 1987 resulting into people talking to arms. “There was such a political vendetta that I was denied passport on the ground that my father was a separatist,” Lone added. Commenting on NC member Saifullah Mir’s assertion that NC president went to PM in 2019 prior to abrogation of article 370 and sought reasons for huge deployment in Kashmir and PM deceived him saying it was a normal deployment. Lone said “Should he (PM) offer a shawl to your leader”.
He said there are double standards in NC itself, adding CM says that they have no complaint against PM while his party colleagues say Centre does not pay money.
On LG’s address Lone said it is an unemotional bureaucratic document which makes LG happier and not people as there is no mention of restoration of Statehood and special status to J&K, he said.
Earlier NC’s Saifullah Mir while accusing PDP of acting as stooge in Centre’s hands during its Government also blamed BJP of snatching special status and statehood of the J&K thereby usurping the rights of the people.
He said GST was implemented in J&K during 2017 when PDP was in Government. It was during first time in PDP Government when employees were terminated in J&K and SARFAESI Act was implemented hitting hard smaller traders while big fish continued to enjoy. Terming `PDP leader’ as Bulldozer Baba, he said houses and business establishments of the people were bulldozed and demolished first time during PDP rule. It is they who are responsible for demolishing people’s property and not NC, he added.
Accusing PDP led Government of bringing NIA in the J&K, he said NC Government did not agree of brining NIA in erstwhile State on the plea that J&K Police is competent enough to deal with any situation. He said it was the result of PDP’s healing touch that youth were put in jails.
Taking on BJP, he said it implemented its hidden agenda and eroded the special status of J&K. He termed August 5 as a black Day in J&K’s history when separate status of the State was snatched in 2019. People were put behind bars on that day and the then Government had no reasons for that.
Mir said there were directions from Supreme Court that Statehood be restored after Assembly elections and the PM and HM of India had also made promise in this regard but the promises were not fulfilled.
He said opposition says that NC had failed in fulfilling the poll promises and asserted “Restore statehood and we will fulfil all promises within six months”.
BJP’s Rajiv Jasrotia while speaking on LG address said democracy is battle of ideas. He said having a look on country and J&K it is the Assembly of J&K which gave place to every idea whether autonomy , special status or unity and national integration.
Highlighting 78 years long journey of NC and BJP, he said the both the parities have same journey. “You were for special status and our’s was total integration of J&K with country,. You achieved your goal during the period when you were in power and we continued struggle for total integration which we achieved on August 5 in 2019”, he added.
“You achieved your dream as at that time there was another Government at Centre and this time there is our’s Government and it will stick to its agenda” he said.
Jasrotia said NC came to power in 2024 by making bundle of promises in its 47 page election manifesto. “You promised jobs and filling of vacant posts,. You framed High Powered Committee for regularisation of daily wagers and claimed in six months report will be submitted but did not fill even a single promise”, he added.
He said you claimed of 3040 mw power, road sector development and 19 national highways but these all schemes are of Central Government. CM also admitted that Centre was kind enough on J&K. Maintaining that BJP is for unity of J&K he said his party is not for fragmentation of UT while putting all speculations in this regard to rest.
BJP MLA from Udhampur -West, Pawan Gupta said that Article 370 was abrogated because of the misdeeds of National Conference and other Kashmir centric parties, which aligned with separatists and buckled under their pressure.
“You (NC) brought Autonomy resolution and then some other (PDP) came with the slogan of Self Rule. You pressed for implementation of Resettlement Act in return of giving rights to women,” he said.
Gupta alleged that LG’s address was a mere statement without any supporting content. “People are not looking for slogans but fulfilment of promises made to them by the ruling party,” he said, adding that except slight increase in pension schemes and 200 units free power to economically weaker section, nothing has been done on ground.
Listing failures of Omar Government, Pawan Gupta drew attention towards shortage of lecturers and teachers in schools, irrational distribution of funs, shortage of doctors and para-medical staff in hospitals, no time line and fixing of responsibility in respect of developmental works.
Pointing out that after the scrapping of Indus Water Treaty, J&K Government has free hand to construct hydro power projects, but no action has been taken in this regard.
The MLA also sought intervention of the Speaker over Legislative oversight to ensure that the executive branch operates efficiently, transparently and in accordance with the established norms.
Congress MLA Tariq Hameed Karra, in his address, said the LG, in his address, forgot to mention two important humanitarian issues — rehabilitation of migrant Kashmiri Pandits and the issues of the refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971.
“I would like to make it clear once again through this House that the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits is not possible through mere symbolic or economic measures, but a comprehensive, permanent and dignified plan is required that ensures their security, economic stability and social rights, so that they can return to their homeland with dignity,” he said and suggested setting up a standing committee of MLAs to formally initiate a dialogue with the Kashmiri Pandit community to draft a practical strategy at the ground level to ensure their safe and dignified return to the valley.
Similarly, he added, in the case of West Pakistani refugees, the one-time package of Rs 30 lakh per family approved by the previous UPA Government should be implemented immediately, out of which a small amount of Rs 5 lakh has been given to them by the present Central Government. “An effective welfare board should be established to resolve their other problems, especially land and settlement-related issues, so that this long-standing humanitarian problem can be solved on a permanent basis,” he added.
The Congress MLA said the democratic process in J-K was restored only after the intervention of the Supreme Court; otherwise, this Assembly would not have been formed. “The LG spoke of participatory governance and public trust, but I want to ask how such trust could exist when the people’s core demand — restoration of statehood — remained unresolved,” he said, pointing out that statehood was mentioned in his previous address but omitted this time.
National Conference MLA Tanveer Sadiq drew attention towards attacks on Kashmiri Muslims in other parts of the country following Delhi blast. He said that when Pahalgam terror attack took place, entire Kashmir had condemned the act, but after Delhi blast, houses of people were razed in Kashmir and Kashmiri Muslims were attacked.
“This is BJP’s gift to Kashmir and Kashmiris. We were told that Article 370 was responsible for militancy and Pakistan support to it. If it was true then why terror attacks like Pahalgam took place?” he asked.
The NC MLA said that people in Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed democracy because of the sacrifices made by July 13 martyrs. We are here because of July 13 martyrs. LoP Sunil Sharma is speaking in the House because of July 13 martyrs. But it is unfortunate that the Government (LG administration) is not allowing us to pay our respect to these martyrs and even Chief Minister was stopped from offer tributes to the martyrs,” he said.
In an apparent reference to PDP and Mufti Mohd Sayeed, Nazir Gurezi of National Conference alleged that some agents of New Delhi severely damaged and weaken the Jammu Kashmir state for their vested interests.
“These same agents were responsible for triggering militancy here. When Farooq Abdullah was normalizing the situation after assuming power in 1996, Mufti Mohd Sayeed was financed by New Delhi to make PDP and mislead the people by waving green flag,” he alleged.
Gurezi also attacked BJP for its alleged divisive politics and accused Hurriyat Conference MLA Sajjad Lone of misleading the House by holding National Conference leadership since Sheikh Mohd Abdullah responsible for the Kashmir turmoil.
Independent MLA from Shopian, Shabir Ahmed Kulley highlighted the contribution of National Conference and Sheikh Mohd Abdullah for the liberation of J&K from monarchy.
Accusing the BJP -RSS combine of not allowing admission of Muslim students to study in SMVDU medical college, Kulley said that it was not a question of 40 MBBS students but an ideology.
He also sought attention towards the Horticulture section in Jammu and Kashmir, which has faced severe losses because of bad weather in the recent time. He demanded special package for the Horticulture sector and snow clearance in his home constituency Shopian.
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