Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief minister Omar Abdullah today termed as a possible "ruse to settle non-state subjects" in the Valley the PDP-BJP government's reported proposal to allocate land for setting up a 'Sainik colony'.
He said the "glaring contradiction" of the Mehbooba Mufti government on the proposal, which is in "violation" of Article 370, has given rise to apprehensions about their "underlying political motive".
"The PDP-BJP government's glaring contradictions on the Sainik colony proposal has given rise to apprehensions about their underlying political motive. From the government's denial that the land is being provided to the 'Sainik Colony' to the administration officially writing to concerned officers to identify the land for the colony, the PDP-BJP government of Mehbooba Mufti has come a full circle.
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"Considering their record of over the past one year, people have serious apprehensions. It could be a ruse to settle non-state subjects in Kashmir and hence bypass Article 370," Omar said addressing party workers in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.
Omar, working president of the opposition National Conference (NC), said Mehbooba Mufti continues to be "vague" on this issue and it seems she has been implicitly ordered to not interfere in the matter.
"Is the Mehbooba Mufti government trying to re-enact the 2008 turmoil where a PDP government set the state on fire in violation of the special status by giving away hundreds of kanals of land to the Shrine Board in violation of legal norms, Article 370 and other constitutional provisions?
"There seems to be an uncanny similarity between what PDP did in 2008 and what the PDP-BJP government is trying to do today with the 'Sainik Colony' proposal," Omar said.
He said Mehbooba Mufti's "shocking exclusion" from the high-level meeting on J-K, chaired by the Union Home minister in Delhi, was an "unmistakable example of her dis-empowerment" and how she was "squarely" responsible for "bartering away the sanctity and constitutional mandate of the Chief Minister's office to remain in power".
"It seems her silence on the 'Sainik Colony' issue was also a result of her complicity in such political maneuvers that are aimed at weakening the state's special status and altering its demographic character," Omar said.
Alleging that the chief minister "cowered" into silence and "rank inaction" in both the NIT as well as Handwara incidents, he said, the central government dealt with these situations directly, "completely bypassing" the state administration as well as the elected Chief Minister.
Asked about use of pellet guns, Omar said the government
says these would be used only in rarest of rare cases.
"Now my point is who is going to determine whether the situation was rarest of rare case. Who will give instructions? After this announcement has been made, there has been at least one death and many injuries.
"So in letter it may be fine but in spirit it is not implemented," he said.
Omar supported the idea mooted by the Left parties for providing relief to those injured in the protests and said "at least on humanitarian basis, they should have mentioned this in the resolution."
"What stops us from reaching to them. These people will be suffering for rest of their lives. We have to set up a rehabilitation process for rebuilding their lives," he said.
Reacting to BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav's reported statement on autonomy that let the people of Kashmir ask for it and let the Indian Parliament decide it, Omar said "I can hand over a copy of resolution adopted by the state assembly in July 2000 because it is still relevant today."
The resolution, which was passed with two-third of majority, was not even discussed by the Union Cabinet forget being tabled in the Parliament, he said.
"The intent to engage with us is not there. There was no appetite then, there is no appetite now, I am afraid to say," he said.
On holding talks with Pakistan, he said, "Well, obviously talks with Pakistan are also critical to what happens with Jammu and Kashmir because whether we like it or not, post- Simla agreement Pakistan has been attached to Jammu and Kashmir."
He said whatever happens on Indo-Pak front, Jammu and Kashmir is a part of that and, therefore, a dialogue, cutting across all the issues will have to take place.
"Now for that the correct environment will have to be created in New Delhi and Islamabad for which adequate steps will have to been taken but I don't think either dialogues should be held hostage to the other.
"We shouldn't be saying because we are not talking to Pakistan we cannot have an internal dialogue or vice versa because we are not having an internal dialogue so therefore dialogue with Pakistan can wait. Obviously at some point both the dialogues have to take place but I don't believe they have to take place simultaneously, immediately," he said.
