Back from New Delhi
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is back from New Delhi where he met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. After his return Omar described the meetings very successful. “I have received assurances at the highest level that the commitments made to Jammu and Kashmir, particularly with regard to our governance model, will change,” the Chief Minister told his cabinet colleagues and senior officers during a meeting in Srinagar.
Omar had left for New Delhi some days after his cabinet had passed a resolution for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution was also approved by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Reports said that the Chief Minister took up the statehood related matter with the central leaders and also handed over a copy of the passed resolution to the Prime Minister. Several other issues were also discussed.
Some opposition parties had criticised the Chief Minister for visiting so early to Delhi after the government formation and said he should have waited till the assembly passed a resolution against the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. Chief Minister’s Advisor, Nasir Aslam Wani, viewed that the visit of Omar Abdullah to Delhi was a routine one and should not be over- interpreted.
National Conference Spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq stated that the NC government would move and pass a resolution in assembly against the central government’s decisions on J&K on August 5, 2019. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has summoned the assembly on November 4. As per the provisional calendar issued by the Pro-tem Speaker Mubarak Gul, Speaker’s election would be held on November 4 and the Lieutenant Governor would address the assembly same day. On November 5, there will be obituary references. Then the discussion on Lieutenant Governor’s address will be held on November 6, 7 and 8. And on November 8, there will be also reply to discussion on Lieutenant Governor’s address.
In the provisional calendar there is no mention of any resolution whether for restoration of statehood or against Article 370 abrogation. However, after speaker’s election, changes can be made to the provisional calendar. Moving of the resolution can be incorporated in the business of the house.
J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina described the restoration of statehood a policy matter and not a political issue. He said the issue must be tackled with maturity and any decision about it should not be taken in any haste. Raina favoured talks between centre and J&K government before reaching to any conclusion on the issue. A senior leader in his party, Ashok Koul, has said that BJP will oppose the Article 370 related resolution if it is moved in the assembly. PDP, Awami Ittihad Party ( AIP) and People’s Conference will support the resolution if and when it comes up.
Congress has not made its intentions clear. But going by its traditional stance it would not like to be seen at national level as a party opposing the abrogation of Article 370. However, the party would strongly advocate the restoration of statehood as it has been doing presently. Right now the J&K unit of Congress continues to be engaged in its infighting. After its debacle in assembly election a blame game is going on within the party. The infighting is not something new in the J&K.
The party has been plagued by this infighting for decades with some kind of encouragement at some levels. The only difference is that the characters in infighting and their roles keep on changing. Political observers feel that most Congress leaders have done nothing practical on the ground to change fortunes for their party prior to last assembly polls. Presently, they try to take the escape route while hiding their own political incompetence by resorting to rhetoric and blame game. Some feel that their party could not have got even the six seats if it was not in pre-poll alliance with NC. Even after 10 years, none among the Congress leaders is a minister in the present government. This is not a good sign for the party in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress leaders claim that they are not for ministries and that first the restoration of statehood must happen.
National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah recently said in Jammu that statehood would surely be restored but may take some time. He said that the “ darbar move” can be restored only if statehood is back. NC in its election manifesto had promised the “darbar move” restoration. AIP President and member of parliament (MP) Er Rashid recently led a protest in front of the Civil Secretariat in support of the demand for restoration of “darbar move.” He is back in Tihar Jail after the expiry of his interim bail.
The coming days and weeks will be keenly watched politically because of the series of meetings at government level and the coming assembly session.
Author is senior editor, Greater Kashmir
