STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: National Conference on Tuesday expressed grave concern over fast deteriorating security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and urged the PDP-BJP Government to take the State Legislature in confidence as to what steps have been taken to instill sense of safety among people.
“We are in a session and the government must come out with a statement”, National Conference MLA Devender Singh Rana said in the Legislative Assembly and referred to recent terror strikes in parts of the Valley.
Rana wondered that instead of spelling out measures to combat violence, the ruling BJP is indulging in jingoism and playing to galleries by resorting to war hysteria. “For a split moment BJP is forgetting that they are in the government, both in the State and at the Centre”, he said while advising the ruling alliance to behave with a sense of responsibility.
The National Conference MLA took jibe at PDP and wanted to know its response over the alliance partners’ war yells and talk of air strikes in the neighbouring country. “What is the response of the party that believed in ‘Goli Se Nahi Boli Se'”, he observed and asked whether the PDP has surrendered its basics for lust of power.
Rana reminded the House about ramifications of war-cries, saying the State, especially the areas adjoining Line of Control and International Border have braved the brunt of shelling from across the border two years ago. He said war is no solution to problems as world history stands testimony to the fact that all issues have been resolved on negotiating table. He said Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed havoc in the border skirmishes in the past and therefore tendencies of getting into eyeball to eyeball situation with the neighbouring country needed to be eschewed.
“To ensure this, the BJP, being partner in the government in J and K and ruling the country has more responsibility”, he maintained.
Amid ruckus, the NC MLAs walked out of the Legislative Assembly in protest against government’s failure on taking the House into confidence on measures to ensure safety of the people.
Later, talking to reporters outside the Legislative Assembly, the Provincial President National Conference Jammu referred to hysteria being generated by the BJP over recent unfortunate incidents and said the party owes an explanation why it failed in averting such situation that has cost the State and the country most precious lives.
“There seems to be a pattern between PDP and BJP over recent terror strikes”, he said, elaborating that on the one hand PDP has been attributing some of these to a particular religion and on the other the BJP is threatening of war. “Who is going to benefit from wars”, he said, adding that BJP might have benefitted from creating scare-syndrome during 2014 shelling in terms of improving its numbers in Parliament and the State Assembly but the net looser has been the nation and the people.
“We, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered the most in the wake of hostilities between the two countries”, Rana said and pleaded for restraint in order to achieve broader objective of peace in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He said talks between New Delhi and Islamabad are the only way to wriggle out from the situation this sensitive border State is in.
Rana also advised the coalition partners to desist from generating confusion by giving provocative statements and instead concentrate on improving the law and order scenario, which had seen a significant improvement during the tenure of Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister. He asked BJP in particular to come into the governance mode and shun the euphoric politics, which it has mastered being in opposition for seven decades in the State.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta intervened, saying the central government was capable of defeating the Pakistani designs in Jammu and Kashmir.
Later, two ruling PDP MLAs Javed Hassan Beig and Mohammad Abbass Wani also staged walkout, expressing dissatisfaction over the government’s reply to the latter’s question about rehabilitation of Ponywallas in Gulmarg tourist resort.
Wani had asked the government about the steps taken by it to rehabilitate the Ponywallas whose livelihood was affected by the setting up of Cable car at the tourist resort.
Beig wanted to ask a supplementary to the question on the grounds that Gulmarg tourist resort was also affecting part of his Baramulla constituency.
However, the Speaker did not allow Beig to speak, prompting the two PDP MLAs to walk out from the House.
Opposition NC MLA from Pahalgam Altaf Kaloo also walked out after the government did not respond to his question whether there was any proposal to start a Cable car project in the south Kashmir tourist resort.
