Intolerance a blot; BJP-PDP sidelining core issues in JK: Omar

Growing "intolerance" in the country and the incidents in Udhampur and Dadri are blots on the social fabric of the country and will continue to hauntthe nation's collective conscience for years to come, former chief minister Omar Abdullah said today.
Slamming the state government, the National Conference's working president said several core issues have been sidelined by PDP post its alliance with BJP and this might lead to feeling of further alienation among people in the state.
"People are concerned over the growing sense of communal polarisation and intolerance in the country. Incidents like those witnessed in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri and Udhampur here are blots on the social fabric of our country and will continue to haunt the nation's collective conscience for years to come," the NC leader said during a rally. He addressed two public meetings at Khari and Banihal areas of Ramban district.

Referring to the death of a truck conductor in a petrol bomb attack last month, he said that the murderous attack on the trucker in Udhampur by a frenzied, communal mob highlights the gravity of the situation the state is confronted with.
Criticising the state government, Omar alleged that the PDP-BJP coalition's policy of putting core political issues on the back burner did not auger well for the prospects of peace and stability within J&K as well as the South Asian region.
He claimed that the spate in incidents of intolerance and communal confrontation in the country has created a sense of despondency and restlessness that could have far-reaching, adverse implications for the next generation.

"PDP has acted as a 'political courier' that carried the alien ideology of intolerance and communal polarisation into J and K at the behest of those who have always harboured a dream to fragment and polarise the state," he said.

"Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a prolonged period of political unrest and turmoil. A state like ours cannot be starved of political engagement and initiatives to bring the disgruntled and disillusioned elements into the fold of our democratic processes and systems," he said.
Omar said the "continued failure" of PDP-BJP to articulate the need for political engagement with internal and external stakeholders is a threat to the fragile peace in J&K that has been earned after years of political persistence.

Referring to the Rs 80,000 crore package recently
announced for the state by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Omar said just numerics would not benefit people on the ground.
"Packages alone would not help Jammu and Kashmir to emerge from the shadows of political uncertainty and unrest. It is very important that the political dimensions of the Kashmir issue are also addressed.
"Economic packages need to be supplemented with political initiatives and measures. I spoke about this in the presence of a visiting Prime Minister and also articulated this in the Legislative Assembly," he said.
Targetting PDP, Omar said that during 2014 Parliamentary and Assembly elections in the state, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti campaigned against BJP and sought votes to stop its political march into the state.

"But as soon as the election results were out, PDP leaders rushed to Nagpur and New Delhi to embrace top BJP and RSS leaders. Since the very incorporation of PDP, National Conference had highlighted their inherent political nexus with the BJP. Today, their political affiliation with the BJP and RSS is out in the open," he alleged.
Omar further claimed that his party had offered to provide unconditional outside support to PDP during the process of government formation but Sayeed had refused saying his party was looking for massive funding to the state which it will receive by aligning with BJP.

He said that the Chief Minister's office had been "trivialised" under Sayeed ,and that the existing atmosphere of "helplessness and political ineffectiveness" in the state could create an aversion towards a democratic system.
Omar lashed out at the government over "developmental inertia" in the state especially the far-flung areas and for neglecting the aspirations of the state's unemployed youth.
"The perpetual delays in releasing timely wages to different categories of workers besides failure to provide financial assistance to categorized segments of the population has resulted in unimaginable miseries and an overall atmosphere of vulnerability and penury," he said.
"The promise of round-the-clock electricity has turned out to be another big, cruel joke," he added.