National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah Tuesday termed the PDP-BJP “Agenda of the Alliance as a bundle of lies that now stood completely exposed before the people.”Addressing a day-long convention of party delegates at Kupwara, he lashed out at Chief Minister and PDP Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for his deafening silence on Union Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar’s “terrorists killing terrorists” comment and asked him to explain why a spate of targeted killings had started in Sopore after the Defense Minister’s remarks.We are very concerned about the spate of targeted killings in Sopore and there is a widespread perception in the State that this PDP-BJP Government is actually implementing the Union Defense Minister’s remarks in letter and spirit. There are apprehensions that Ikhwanis are being re-invented. Mufti Sahab’s deliberate silence and his refusal to condemn the Defense Minister’s statement is conspicuous and worrisome. Till now the Government has absolutely no answers to offer and the situation seems to be taking a turn towards instability and chaos. My heart goes out to the families of those civilians who have been killed and I assure them that National Conference stands in solidarity with them in their moment of grief,” Omar said.
“The PDP-BJP ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ has turned out to be an unimaginative bundle of lies. We always knew the posturing in the PDP-BJP CMP was just an effort by PDP to create moral smokescreens to justify its unjustifiable alliance with the BJP. Today we have been vindicated as each promise made in the ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ has come crumbling down as Mufti Sahab looks on as a silent, helpless spectator who has sold his voice to remain in the Chief Minister’s chair. Yesterday the Union Power Minister who belongs to Mufti Sahab’s ally, the BJP – has categorically closed the chapter of returning the power projects to J&K – as was promised in the PDP-BJP ‘Agenda of the Alliance’. Mufti Sahab’s Power Minister did not so much so say one word as a mark of protest nor did the J&K Power Minister seek the return of the power projects in the meeting with the Union Power Minister. Tragically Mufti Sahab’s Finance Minister who had given ad nauseam, self-righteous lectures on the return of power projects chose to skip the part of the meeting that dealt with this issue - showing PDP's lack of seriousness on this important issue. Who would have thought that PDP would abandon its poll-time promises in such a brazen fashion after coming to power in an embrace with the BJP. Another PDP-BJP 'CMP' promise has been exposed as a big fat lie,” he alleged
The NC Working President claimed PDP had made spectacular, effortless U-turns on all its CMP promises including revocation of AFSPA, the slogan of ‘Battle of Ideas’, resumption of talks with Hurriyat leaders, on Article 370 and had also gone to the extent of undermining the sanctity of the State Flag of Jammu and Kashmir. “I wonder what happened to PDP’s ‘Battle of Ideas’ promise? What ‘Battle of Ideas’ is this Mufti Sahab where you crack down on seminars about ‘saffronization’ and arrest not only the organizer but also their guests who had come to attend this seminar? Mufti Sahab not only slapped a fresh PSA on Masrat Alam but ensured that he is sent to Kot Bhalwal jail instead of keeping him in a jail within the Valley. Recently the Honorable Courts had also sought Masrat’s transfer to incarceration within the Valley – which the State Government opposed citing security concerns. Both Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani continue to be placed under frequent house arrests by Mufti Sahab despite the law and order situation being fairly normal and stable. Is this Mufti Sahab’s ‘Battle of Ideas’? Fact of the matter is that PDP has gone from its slogan of ‘Battle of Ideas’ to a brazen, operational ‘Battle against Ideas’ approach – which has yet again revealed that PDP entered into an alliance with the BJP for the sole and singular aim of making Mufti Sahab the Chief Minister,” Omar said.
“Mufti Sahab’s failure on the governance front is equally tragic. Till now the PDP-BJP Government of Mufti Sayeed has played one cruel joke after another with the flood victims while thousands of employees and thousands of contractors are without salaries and payments. The State Treasuries are running dry despite the fact that Mufti Sahab himself had justified his alliance with the BJP on the pretext of getting liberal funding from New Delhi. Where is the funding Mufti Sahab? You and your Finance Minister say that you won’t beg for your people in New Delhi. But the tragic reality is that the common-man, especially the flood affected victims face the prospects of begging to survive because of your failure. The financial crisis in the State is purely a PDP-made situation that the present Chief Minister and his Finance Minister are solely responsible for. Despite PDP’s attempts to pass the buck and shrug its responsibility – the common man knows that if anyone is responsible for the dry treasuries and the economic stagnation in the State – it is Mufti Sahab and his Finance Minister,” he added.
“Conflicting statements and contradictions on sensitive issues like AIIMS, IIT and IIM from the PDP-BJP coalition partners reek of mischief and clearly appear to be deliberate attempts to create regional animosity and hostility in the State. As Mufti Sahab’s PDP-BJP Government has failed to deliver on even one of its promises, it has now apparently decided to create a regional divide in the State to provide a distraction. The stand of National Conference on all these issues has remained the same and is based on the principles of equity and fairness. We have not wavered on a single stand on any of these issues and will continue to work for the development and prosperity of all the three regions of the State”, the NC Working President added.Omar Abdllah asked the party delegates and workers to work tirelessly to strengthen the party at the grassroots level and go door to door to expose the PDP-BJP unholy nexus that has come forth as a challenge to the political honor and dignity of J&K. “People have realized that PDP was, is and will always be opposed to the interests of this State and the party is on its last leg. Like in all past crucial junctures, it is the duty of National Conference to serve the interests of the State and safeguard its special status and identity against all odds. A lot of youngsters are reposing their faith in National Conference with each passing day and I assure you that we will continue to strive for the goals of empowerment, liberalization and equitable progress,” he said.
Senior Party leaders including NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, NC Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, senior leaders Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Sharif-ud-din Shariq, MLC and District President Kupwara Qaiser Jamsheed Lone, Kafeel-ur-Rehman, Javaid Ahmed Dar and Showkat Ahmed Mir also attended the convention of party delegates from District Kupwara.