Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of Rs 80,000 package for Jammu and Kashmir at a public rally as “much ado about nothing”, former chief minister and working president of National Conference Omar Abdullah has said the people of Kashmir feel disappointed as their hopes of were dashed to ground as no political package for the solution of Kashmir issue was announced.“Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had said that Modi’s rally in Srinagar would be historic. Even one minister in the government has said the rally would be crucial and will have a long lasting effect on the future generation of Kashmiris. But now it seems there was much ado about nothing,” he said while addressing press conference here today.“But mere announcing Rs 80,000 package can’t be a historic thing. We were hoping that the PM will announce a big political package, like reaching out to Pakistan and inviting separatists for talks. But all our hopes were dashed to ground,” Omar said.
Castigating Modi for recalling former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's message of Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat, Omar said that had Modi used the three words in the same context as Vajpayee had, “the hopes of Kashmiri people would not have been dashed to the ground.”“Now as the prime minister used the words of Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat not in that context. We wanted to hear about insaniyat from him in the present context. Where has the insaniyat gone when a Kashmiri truck driver was attacked in Udhampur, when a man was lynched to death in Dadri and another one in Himalchal Pradesh? Only mentioning of word insaniyat can’t make any difference,” he said.“They talk of jamhooriyat (democracy) when they have put thousands of people under arrest to ensure a rally for PM. In Jammu, people are allowed to hold a road march brandishing guns but in Srinagar people arte stopped to even hold a peaceful protest rally. The lessons of Kashmiriyat were taught us recently in Legislative Assembly,” he said.
According to KNS correspondent, Omar said that Vajpayee talked about Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat in the context of seeking a political solution to Kashmir issue when he reached out to Pakistan from the same stage and even invited separatists for talks with New Delhi. “But our PM said us that he does not need lessons on Kashmir from anyone even as Mufti Sayeed was trying to convey him the importance of resolving Kashmir. I want to ask Mufti sahab what is this when PM is not ready to listen him. Can Mufti sahab tell us what would be the fate of their agenda of alliance in this scenario,” Omar said.
The former chief minister added that mere financial packages can’t be the solution of Kashmir issue and wanted to remind both Modi and Mufti about his speech before the then PM of India Manmohan Singh. “At the time of inauguration of railway at Anantnag few years before, I had told Manmohan Singh sahab where even Sonia Gandhi was present that Kashmiris were not beggars as you will only financial sops and overlook the larger political issue. I told them we the people of J&K are thankful for their financial support, but the people of Kashmir have not sacrificed their lives for mere financial package. Kashmir is a political issues and its needs a political solution, I had said,” he said.
He added that the Rs 80,000 package announced by the PM today can solve few local issues but the larger Kashmir issue, which is a political issue, will remain unresolved.“The financial package could have been announced in Delhi too. Mere for this, PM rally could not have been held and there was no need to put thousands of people behind bars. We were anxiously waiting for PM to announce a political package. But our hopes were dashed to ground,” he said.
Omar also reminded Modi about Vajpayee’s statement in 2002 at Lal Qilla when he has said that many mistakes have happened in Kashmir and there was not need to repeat them. “Had Modi gone through that speech of Vajpayee, then he would not have disappointed us all,” he said.The former chief minister said that the prime minister has both failed the people of J&K from political point of view and Vajpayee also for failing to use the same stage in reaching out to Pakistan. (KNS)