NATION | Friday, February 5, 2010 | Email | Print | 
Blame game on in Kashmir
Khursheed Wani | Srinagar
The ruling National Conference and Opposition People’s Democratic Party have locked horns on the prevailing situation in Kashmir, blaming each other for the mess. While the PDP described the situation as the “failure of the Omar Abdullah-led Government,” the ruling party said the PDP was attempting to cash in on the unrest to destabilise the Government and its “pro-people developmental agenda.”
“We appeal to the people of Valley, particularly the city dwellers to cooperate with the Government to bring back normalcy,” senior NC leader and Rural Development Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar said at a Press conference. “Vested interests are hell-bent on bringing miseries to people, derailing developmental work and continuing an atmosphere of violence,” he added. He regretted the death of teenager Wamiq Farooq, saying the Chief Minister has ordered inquiry into the circumstances which led to his death and a police officer has been suspended.
Sagar said it was painful to round up separatist leaders or protestors but the Government was constrained to take action. “Some people cannot hold the Government hostage for their vested interests.”
Sagar differed with the view of Director General CRPF that Pakistan was funding stone throwers to fuel “gunless terrorism” in the Valley but maintained that presence of some professional stone throwers was not ruled out.
“I don’t subscribe to his (DGs) view entirely. Maybe he has some input. There can be some groups who encourage stone pelting. But the unrest on teenager’s killing is not misplaced. We acknowledge that there is a problem in Kashmir that needs resolution”, he explained.
He took a dig at PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for linking the present turmoil with performance of the coalition Government. “Why doesn’t she recall the period when her party left the Government after massacring 70 people in Kashmir on an issue (Amarnath land row) that was the creation of two ministers of her own party,” he said.
Chief Minister’s advisor Mubarak Gul and junior tourism minister Nasir Aslam Wani blamed the PDP for fanning unrest in the city to achieve political goals.
Earlier, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti accused the Omar Abdullah Government of “failure to tackle situation in the wake of recent agitation”. She said that she did not attend the district development board meeting at Shopian to register protest against the Government.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired the board meeting. Interestingly, PDP represents both constituencies including Wachi that is represented by Mehbooba herself.
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