STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Taking a strong exception to recent statements of Omar Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of J&K that banked on communalisation of prevailing power crisis in J&K, Y V Sharma, Spokesperson BJP said that power crisis in the UT is an extension of the power crisis across the country because of high prices of coal in the international market exacerbated by the uncertainties caused by the ongoing Russia – Ukraine conflict. He said that coal prices have risen from $100 in Sept/Oct 2021 to around $450-500 per MT now and obviously it is impacting the supply of electricity in India. It may be mentioned, he said, that around 70 per cent of power generated in India is from coal based thermal plants.
He further said that the Govt of J&K ensured power supply to the people of Kashmir during the night of Shab-e-Qadar even at the cost of the quota scheduled for Jammu region. It’s a different matter, he said, that people in many areas of Jammu too were celebrating the festival. Power supply to industries in Jammu region was also put off during evening hours so that adequate supply was available to the people of the Valley. On one hand, he said, this is the commitment of the Govt of UT towards sensibilities of the people of Kashmir & here is a former Chief Minister of J&K, who was also a former Foreign Minister of the country who is trying to communalise the issue for gaining political mileage.
He reminded Omar Abdullah that had the previous governments of J&K addressed the issues related electricity in J&K on consistent & mission mode during 70 odd years of their rule the power position in J&K wouldn’t have been what we see today. Instead, the veteran Sheikh Abdullah, exhorted the people of Kashmir not to pay electricity bills to Govt from the pulpit of Hazratbal Shrine adding that legs of PDD employee should be broken if they came to collect electricity tariff, he added.
Coming to loudspeakers, Y V Sharma said that no one is against the five time call by the faithful for prayers. What in fact is intended is that all the religious denominations in the country should stop using them so that there is no mutual competition between them in making their ‘presence felt in presence God’ who in any case is pmnipresent. Indiscriminate use of loudspeakers is resulting in unnecessary noise pollution & also in acrimony between different people & it’s the responsibility of every member of the civil society to address this issue by rising above religious & partisan positions.
Speaking about the Hijab issue raised by Omar Abdullah in his interaction with the media, Y V Sharma said that no one in India has any objection to people wearing whatever they desire. He suggested Omar Abdullah to be careful otherwise his utterances have potential of dividing the society on religious grounds, which in any case is harmful to the peace-loving people of J&K.