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The J&K government will accommodate migrant Kashmiri Pandits in transit camps till they feel comfortable to shift to their native places, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Tuesday.
“My pigeon-cat remark was misunderstood. I didn’t compare Muslims with cats. I didn’t say Muslims are a threat to migrant Kashmiri Pandits. Who killed MirwaizSahab, Lone Sahab. They were not killed by their neighbours,” she said, replying to debate on Motion of Thanks on Governor’s address in the Legislative Council here.
“Even party workers of National Conference, Congress are staying in hotels in Srinagar under security cover as they are feeling insecure to return to their native places,” she said.
The Chief Minister said they need to give Pandits “confidence” to return to their native places. “Till that time, they will live in transit camps where 50 percent populace
will be Pandits while remaining 50 percent will be displaced population from other communities, including Muslims and Sikhs,” she said.
“Muslims want to keep themselves away from extremism and my remark of pigeon-cat was twisted in a way that it gives out that I had commented that Muslims are a threat to Pandits, which is not true,” she said.
While defending PDP’s alliance with BJP, Mehbooba invoked National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah’s decision of joining hands with India in 1947.
“Mufti sahab always used to say that Sheikh sahib-despite being a popular leader of Muslim Majority J&K—decided to join hands with India in 1947 at a time when state’s affiliation was based on religion affiliations, but he took the difficult step which was right and is evident from the fact that other Muslim majority places are facing plethora of problems and it proves that his decision was right for J&K,” she said.
Comparing Sheikh’s decision with her late father Mufti Sayeed’s move to ally with right-wing BJP, she said: “Similarly in 2014, we got mandate where BJP had won majority of seats in Jammu and PDP in Kashmir and Mufti Sahab’s decision was right to accept the mandate to join hands with BJP for overall development of the state. Had we not done so, it would have been Jammu versus Kashmir, or Muslim versus Hindu,” she said.
The Chief Minister said the decision to ally with National Conference and Congress could have “proved a disaster” for the state.
“Mufti sahab was advocate of democracy, but he also believed in strong opposition (and) that is why he left Congress and formed the PDP,” she said, adding that had he not joined the BJP, the “situation like 1987 would have been replicated.”
“In 1987, Congress joined hands with NC and the opposition Muslim United Front which had participated in the elections was discredited and instead of election it was mandate by then central government which was a wrong decision at that time. And the effects of 1987 are felt even today; since then we are digging up graves,” she remarked.
“Had the election being fair, what would have happened. The MUF would have got few seats and at the end of day they have to swear by the Constitution of India. Geelanisahab and Lone sahab have been members of the House,” she said.
Mehbooba said her late father’s “biggest hope” was in “India’s democracy.”
“He formed PDP to evolve a strong opposition in Jammu and Kashmir. It was this decision which strengthened the democratic values of our state.”
She hit out NC-Congress regime for caging separatists during their tenure. “You have kept them under house arrest or detention for last six years; it would take some time for us to set them free as we did during 2002-2005.”
The Chief Minister said the separatist leadership claimed their political space without any intervention of the government during 2002-2005 tenure of Mufti Sayeed. “At that time, separatist leaders were jailed but we set them free. I encountered them during election campaigns. We talked to them. Umar Farooq and Bilal Lone spoke to the Centre. Militancy went down and ceasefire was implemented. It sparked hope of a new dawn of peace but the unfortunate events after 2008 turned the tide against the peace efforts,” she said.
Hitting out at the Opposition for accusing the government of implementing RSS agenda in Kashmir, she said such remarks “reflect lack of faith among Opposition members in our ideology which is deeply secular and plural.”
“Even Pandits in Jammu migrant camps swear by the name of Dastgeersaheb and Rash-Mailisaheb. Those shrines are sacred and no one has returned empty handed from there,” she said.
“When National Conference entered into an alliance first with BJP and then with Congress, they had no agenda, except distribution of ministries and greed of chair. But we have a clear agenda, the elements of which have been even endorsed by the Congress in the former PM’s Working Group reports. We can take out state from its present turmoil if we all join hands to implement this agenda of alliance,” she said.
Mehbooba said the issues like unshackling the potential of the state by opening more points on LoC, banking facilities, strengthening of Article 370, taking back land from security forces, etc. have been a part of mainstream discourse for decades
“Former RBI Governor, C Rangarajan, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, MK Rasgotra and N C Saxena were part of the Working Groups appointed by the then Prime Minister DrManmohan Singh who had agreed on all the political, economic, security and cross-LoC confidence building measures. They unequivocally agreed that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has to go and it will go. We have hope that the leaders at the Centre have understood the ground realities in J&K and they want to improve the situation,” Mufti said.
“Such issues have been raised by all the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, at some point in time, but they have failed in making any forward movement. Your criticism of PDP-BJP coalition government rings hollow given your own past performances. You have done nothing to consolidate the peace efforts initiated between 2002 and 2005 under the leadership of Mufti Sayeed. We are again starting from zero and by raising these issues now; you are trying to vitiate the atmosphere. If we are doing anything good for the state, you should support us,” she told the Opposition.
Hitting out at the former NC leaders, the Chief Minister said they bartered the resources of Jammu and Kashmir for power, “When Omar Sahab became the External Affairs Minister, what was his agenda. You joined hands with the BJP and what did you get in return? You gave away our power projects in lieu of power and chair. You should tell this House why you joined hands with them at that time. Show me a document that you had with the BJP that your party will deliver on such and such issue. We had a charter for 2002-2005 government and we have a similar agenda in this government,” she said.
On the issue of construction of Sainik Colony, the Chief Minister said the first Sainik Colony was built around 1964 in Samba and it was meant for state subjects. “Sheikh Abdullah inaugurated the colony. In March 2011, a meeting of RajyaSainik Board took place followed by more meetings in 2012. In 2014, the meeting was attended by Omar Abdullah. Every meeting discussed that land should be provided and no final decision was taken. In my tenure also on April 21 a meeting was convened, again a call for land was made; the Divisional Commissioner communicated to the Sainik Board on May 18 that no suitable land has been identified. How can you say that there is confusion on the issue?” she said.
She said the Centre has already cleared proposal for construction of two AIIMS in J&K which will come up in Samba and Awantipora.
The Chief Minister said the New Industrial Policy will be revised to uphold the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. “Regarding the issue of Smart Cities, there is a process which is being followed. Earlier, there was provision for only one city from J&K. After our intervention, both cities have been approved. If they aren’t done, I will sit on opposition benches,” she said.
She said the UPA II circulated the draft of National Food Security Act and the then government under Omar Abdullah consented to the bill in 2011. “In 2015, we implemented the law only after Centre decided to stop ration to states that don’t implement the new law. Backed by Mufti Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme, the NFSA will be implemented in J&K from July 1,” she said.
Slamming the Opposition for belittling the PDP-BJP government’s efforts for women welfare, Mehbooba said introduction of special buses for females and women police stations will empower womenfolk. “I have travelled in buses. A girl’s molestation in Handwara resulted in five killings. Thousands will die if the veil is lifted from the problems faced by women in public transport,” she said.
At the beginning of her address on Governor’s speech, she thanked the opposition for their support after the demise of Mufti Sayeed and their condolence messages. “When everyone was pointing fingers at me, Omar (Abdullah) saheb understood my situation and supported me and I thank him for that,” she said.
She assured the legislators that the issues regarding their accommodation, security and keeping provisions for including their issues in district and state plans will be addressed.
The legislators who earlier participated in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on Governor’s address include Firdous Ahmad Tak, YasirReshi, Dr B A Veeri, G N Moonga, Ramesh Arora, Zafar Iqbal Manhas , Vibod Gupta, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo , Jugal Kishore Sharma, Ashok Khajuria and AjatShatru Singh.
GK