risingkashmir/cong-regrets-giving-omar-6-years-as-cm/ Cong regrets giving Omar 6 years as CM • It was a big mistake to offer CM’s post to him for full term: Azad • Legally and morally, he should have been CM for just three years: Soni • Only Cong can do justice with all sections and regions of JK: Soz 6Manzoor-ul-Hassan Sopore/Rafiabad, Dec 6: Congress Saturday reacted sharply to allegations of corruption leveled by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah against its ministers saying the party made a big mistake by offering chief minister’s post to him for six years. “It is unfortunate that Omar Abdullah is criticizing Congress at the end of his tenure. He should have raised issues when he was an active chief minister,” senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters on sidelines of an election rally at Rohama area of Rafiabad in support of Congress candidate Abdul Gani Vakil. He was accompanied by Congress general secretary Ambika Soni, J&K Pradesh Congress committee chief Saif-ud-Din Soz, MLC G N Monga and other leaders. Azad said NC cannot hide their wrong developmental policy by criticizing Congress. “NC-led Government took all the pains to shut the initiatives and projects of the Congress-led Government’s and yet the CM is trying to play the victim, in keeping with the past traditions of regional parties to garner sympathy votes.” “When you stopped fast track execution of developmental works, when you abandoned double shift/triple shift, when you buried the anti-corruption laws that earned accolades to the State, both nationally and internationally, how could you be able to fulfil the dreams of teeming millions and satiate the urges and aspirations of a restless and impatient younger generation”, he said. Azad said it was big mistake of Congress to offer CM’s post to Omar Abdullah for full six year term. “Now I think our party wouldn’t need his support as we are sure to gain majority of seats in Assembly,” he said. Azad also criticised Omar during his speech. “Omar says he had no control over his ministers indulging in corruption. Why did he not control them or take them to task? He is a chief minister and has the authority. He should have sacked them. When I was the chief minister, I sacked a cabinet colleague and a dear friend just over an allegation, which was later found to be false,” he said. On a question of post-poll alliance, Azad said, “I do not know what is going to happen in future but at the moment, we are trying our level best to muster the support so that we do not need anybody’s support”. Azad, Soni and Soz during their 12-hour poll campaign in North Kashmir addressed election rallies at several places including Hathlangoo in Sopore and Nowpora in Sangrama constituency apart from Rohama in Rafiabad. Addressing the rallies, Azad asked people to keep ‘disruptive elements’ at bay and cast vote. “There are some forces in our country and outside who are irritated with the heavy voter turnover. People should not pay heed to militant attacks and should come out and vote and increase the percentage from 70 to 90 percent”. Lashing out at BJP for using divisive tactics in Kashmir for winning elections, he said, “BJP is betraying the people of country by taking recourse to falsehood, deceit and mischievous machinations”. He said the saffron party rewards those who talk ill against different communities and punish secular minded people. In her address, Congress General Secretary and in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir affairs Ambika Soni lambasted political parties for resorting to divisive politics and polarization of votes. She advised people to reject political parties thriving on divisive politics. “People should reject parties, which pit one community against another and thrive on communal politics”. “People need to understand who benefits from the politics of polarisation”, Soni said adding Congress and its leadership have spent their lives to foster harmony and peace between people of various regions, religions and communities. Lashing out at Omar, she said, “Omar has been the chief minister of the state for the last six years. Legally and morally, he should have been the chief minister for just three years as Congress had a right to lead for the three years. But our leader Sonia Gandhi thought that he was young and should be given an opportunity for the full six years. Now we feel, that had we given him only three years, our chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad or any other who would have been chosen, would have implemented the Food Security Bill. But now we appeal you to support Congress so that we implement it in the state”. JKPCC chief chief Saif-ud-Din Soz said regional parties and leaders are using every possible method and mean to divide people for vote bank politics. Advising people to beware of the divisive forces, he said some parties flaunt the bait of ‘vikas’ and development to mislead the people about their divisive agenda. Soz wondered how development and progress will take place in an atmosphere of hatred and polarisation as harmony and peace are pre-requisites for carrying out holistic and inclusive development. He said true essence of a well meaning and people-friendly political party is how much it can satiate the urges and aspirations of all sections of society and discharge its responsibilities with fairness and equity. “It is only the Congress, which has the credentials to do justice with all sections and regions of the State”.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 05:14:49 +0000
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