NC-led Govt will fulfill all election promises: CM Omar in J&K Assembly

Some people trying to intimidate, silence us: CM Omar in J-K Assembly

Business rules for J-K govt framed, sent to LG for approval: CM Omar Abdullah

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday assured people that the National Conference-led government will fulfil all its poll promises including those related to prisoners and “arbitrary” termination of government employees.He said his government is formed for a full five years, expressing hope that the next budget session of the assembly will be thrown open by the governor instead of the lieutenant governor.Winding up the discussion on motion of thanks to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s address in the legislative assembly here, Abdullah said a lot was talked about the NC manifesto which “we have prepared with a lot of thought and is our promise to the people of J&K”.

“When we put forth our manifesto before the people we told them that give us five years…we assure the people that we will fulfil all the promises from A to Z, whether related to prisoners or termination of government employees. We are promise bound to do that,” the chief minister said.In its manifesto, the National Conference had promised to prioritise the release of political prisoners and youth who have been “unjustly” detained in jails and are not involved in serious crimes besides seeking amnesty for all political prisoners.The manifesto also talked about ending “unjust” termination of government employees and said “it will address and rectify cases of unjust job terminations, ensuring fair treatment and job security for all employees”.

Referring to the some members’ criticism of LG’s address, Abdullah said the LG cannot replace his earlier speech made in the November session shortly after the formation of the government and that it is in addition to that speech.“Some (members) termed it as a love letter (from NC to BJP)…I do not go into it but want to make it clear that we made new additions and next year I hope that when we will meet (for budget session), there will be a Governor instead of Lt Governor,” he said.

Abdullah also referred to the speech of Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma defending the use of Public Safety Act and said “if you are using PSA then your case is weak…you put me under preventive detention (in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370) for six months because there were no charges against me. But it is better to use relevant sections of law against the stone pelters or overground workers who have been booked under PSA.” He questioned Sharma for linking Article 370 with development and terrorism and said “whether the developmental projects he spoke about were possible only with the abrogation of Article 370”.Most of these projects started before 2014, he said and challenged the BJP leader to tell the House about one project which was not possible to be completed under Article 370 status.

Abdullah also questioned the political reservation granted to the Scheduled Tribe community and said the number of Gujjar leaders in the House dropped from nine to six.“What miracle happened after abrogation of Article 370? Shakti Raj Parihar (BJP) talked about ending nepotism, corruption and terrorism while the LoP is blaming Pakistan for terrorism. Who is right? “If Pakistan is behind the terrorism then why blame Article 370…if Article 370 was responsible, then why terrorism spread to  Jammu region after its abrogation, the areas which were declared terrorism-free during my (previous) tenure,” he said.The attacks on pilgrims in Reasi, civilians in Rajouri and other places in the past few years stand testimony that Article 370 was not responsible for terrorism, he added.He said the BJP members raised the issue of the fraud in Jal Jeevan Mission showing that the corruption has not ended.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said they would be grateful to the BJP-led government if alongside Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) it also retrieves the part of the Union Territory (UT) under illegal occupation of China.He came down heavily on the BJP leaders for accusing the National Conference (NC) of insulting Jammu and Kashmir’s last ruler Maharaja Hari Singh and challenged them to give just one instance when the ruling party or any other Kashmir-based party insulted the Dogra ruler while the BJP disintegrated and downgraded his Muslim majority state.

“The foreign minister (S Jaishankar) is saying that we will get back the part of J&K which is under the occupation of Pakistan. Who has stopped them? Have we ever said that do not get it back?” the chief minister said, winding up the discussion on motion of thanks to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s address in the Assembly here.Jaishankar, speaking during a session at the Chatham House think-tank in London on Wednesday, said the Kashmir dispute would be solved after the “return of the stolen part of Kashmir which is under illegal Pakistani occupation”.Referring to the speech of BJP members in the House, he said the Congress was targeted for leaving Haji Peer in the Uri sector to Pakistan.

“During the Kargil war, there was an opportunity to get back PoK because it was Pakistan which attacked us. If you were so willing, you would have brought back that part but what stopped you? When you look at the map of Jammu and Kashmir, one part is also in China but you do not talk about it,” he said.He said when the BJP-led central government brings back PoK, they should also bring that part of J-K which is presently in China and “we will be grateful to you”.Countering the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in J-K Assembly and BJP leader Sunil Sharma for accusing the ruling party of insulting the Maharaja, he dared the opposition party to give him a single instance when the last Dogra ruler was insulted by NC or for that matter by the PDP and Congress.

“You have distorted the map of Maharaja by separating Ladakh from J&K and finishing his laws, especially related to land and jobs which were meant to provide safeguards to the people,” he said.Abdullah said the BJP is justifying the separation by saying that it was the long-pending demand of the people of Ladakh.“Have you asked them? Have you tried to find out? “From day one, the people of Kargil were against this decision. The Buddhists of Ladakh who distributed sweets are today of the opinion that they were better placed with J&K. They walked from Leh to Delhi to get back their rights,” he said.

He said Himachal Pradesh is better placed because one has to give 70 per cent of jobs to the local population if someone sets up an industry or a hotel in the hilly state.The chief minister also took a dig at the LoP for his “derogatory remarks” against the July 13, 1931 “martyrs” and said “though we have different political ideologies, they deserve respect for rising up against the autocracy and their sacrifice led to the formation of this Assembly”.

July 13 was observed as a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir to commemorate the 22 men who fell to the bullets of Dogra Maharaja’s soldiers outside Srinagar central jail in 1931. The holiday along with the December 5 holiday to mark the birth anniversary of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was, however, scrapped by the Lt Governor administration after the abrogation of Article 370.“Their only fault was that they were Muslims. In the rest of the country, the people who rose against autocracy are respected and nobody can dub them as traitors,’ he said.

Abdullah said whether July 13 and December 5 are declared holidays or not, it will not matter because the people respect them from their hearts.Abdullah said in his last tenure as chief minister, he was also planning to lower the number of holidays and December 5 was also on his mind.“We have never harmed the legacy of Maharaja. Have we changed the name of any institution which was named in the name of the Dogra rulers?” he said.

Asserting that nobody can snatch a right from citizens to discuss Article 370, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said some people are trying to “intimidate, threaten and silence us” but his party will continue its fight for the rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir.Winding up the discussion on motion of thanks to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s address, Abdullah said the dignity of J&K has gone with the downgrading of the erstwhile state into the Union Territory.“…I am not fighting for statehood for my own self, this fight is in the interest of J&K. The things which we want to do can be given the practical shape only when we get back statehood. The things which we want back and the things which need to be changed,” the chief minister said.

Referring to Peoples Conference legislator Sajad Gani Lone’s demand that a resolution should have been passed in the House for restoration of statehood instead of passing the resolution in the cabinet meeting, he said such a resolution was not deliberately moved in the House considering that every member is supportive of the demand.“Our dignity has gone with the downgrading of the state (to Union Territory). If you wish to move a resolution on it, please go ahead and we will support you,” he said.He said the fight for statehood is based on “truth, justice and law” and its restoration will provide relief to the people of J&K.

“We will not backtrack from this fight. At times, some people are trying to intimidate, threaten and silence us but we are not those who will go silent. We will continue our fight for the rights of the people, their dignity, development and brotherhood,” the chief minister said.However, he did not identify those people who are allegedly threatening National Conference legislators.Coming down heavily on the speech of Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, Abdullah said he (Sharma) is saying that speaking on Article 370 was like wasting the time of the House but the reality is that it was BJP members who talked most about the constitutional provision that granted special status to J&K.

The Centre abrogated Article 370 in August 2019.“Do not tell me that the Supreme Court has put its stamp on abrogation of Article 370. Decisions can be reviewed and the government does change but don’t tell me that it (Article 370) will not return.”We say that it will come back and you live with your hope and we will also live with our hope. Who knows what will happen next,” Abdullah said, adding “you cannot snatch a right to talk on this issue from us”.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said business rules for the government been framed and sent to the Lieutenant Governor for approval to facilitate smooth governance without confusion.

“Until we receive statehood, it is necessary to establish business rules for clarity. It took some time, but yesterday at 8 pm, we convened a cabinet meeting and finalised the business rules. They were approved by our cabinet,” Abdullah said in reply to the motion of thanks to the Lieutenant Governor’s address to the Assembly.He further said the rules have been submitted to the Lieutenant Governor for approval. “We hope they will be approved,” he added.Asserting that this step will reduce confusion, he said, “As long as this system is in place, it should operate smoothly without any confusion. Although I view it as temporary, implementing business rules is preferable to reduce confusion.”

Chief Minister Abdullah last month openly criticised the dual governance model in the Union Territory (UT) — where he shares power with the Lieutenant Governor — as a “recipe for disaster”.He had said the hybrid model of governance in the UT was not to anyone’s advantage and the systems worked better when there was a single centre of command.The Congress, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties have criticised the dual model of governance in J-K.