KL Report
SRINAGAR
The National Conference on Saturday accused state Congress for not cooperating with it during the last five and half years of governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Talking to KNS, Dr Mustafa Kamal, additional general secretary National Conference blamed state Congress leadership for playing a ‘double role’ as far as the supporting its coalition partner was concerned. “The state congress always misled the congress high command in Delhi about National Conference. They never supported NC during the last over five and half years of government as was expected from it.”
When asked how was Congress state leadership able to create a ‘wedge’ between NC and Congress high command when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has a personal rapport with the Gandhi family particularly with Rahul Gandhi, Kamal said: “They (state Congress leadership had tried its best to create differences between NC and Congress by misleading them (Congress high command) but it was the personal relationship that state congress leadership failed and I hope that Mr Omar maintains that relationship with the Congress high command in future as well.”
The NC additional general secretary said that there was a clandestine understanding between some local congress leaders with its arch rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and both had tried to dislodge Omar Abdullah government a few months after Narendra Modi won the elections. Kamal said that state Congress wanted to topple the government through proxies so that it does not take any blame for it. “I hope and expect that Congress high command is now cautious and conscious as well and it will never rely much on its local leadership in terms of giving a heed to its word,” Kamal hoped.
Asked about pre poll alliance with Congress for the upcoming assembly elections, Kamal hoped that there will be no pre poll alliance with the Congress this time. “I hope that the president of NC who has to take a final call on this issue (pre poll alliance ) will uphold the democratic right of his party cadres who are not in favour of any pre poll alliance with Congress for the upcoming assembly elections,” he added. “We had no coalition but it was an adjustment between NC and Congress in the interest of civil rule and democratic process. It was a sacrifice from NC for the people of the state to make adjustment with Congress and save the people form governor’s rule,” Kamal said.
Asked when will NC issue its list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections, Kamal said that Dr Farooq Abdullah is in Delhi and after his arrival in Srinagar the list will be out without any delay. “I think by the early next week the list of our candidates should be out. Our party president is in Delhi and he is expected to arrive in Srinagar tomorrow or day after and as soon as he arrives here, I think the list will be given a final shape and it will be out by or before the next week.”
Kamal said that there was delay in announcement of candidates because of Prime Minister’s visit to Kashmir and the Jammu party unit had not submitted its panel of candidates to the party leadership in Srinagar. “Now the party’s Jammu provincial unit has furnished its panel of candidates and there will be no delay in announcement of the final list of candidates,” he added.
Reacting sharply to Taj Mohi Ud din’ statement on Uri power project which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kamal said that by issuing such a statement Taj has undermined himself. “Taj says that Uri power project which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister has no license to operate is correct. But it was a trivial issue and there was no need to issue such a statement. I think when the state government at its highest level (Chief Minister) was present on the occasion of inauguration of that project, Taj should have reserved such comments,” Kamal said. He added: “It was a technical issue and technical issues and there was no need to rake up such a controversy. May be the government will use license part as a handle in getting 30 per cent royalty from this Uri power project implemented.”
