Jammu, Feb 05 (KNO): Peoples Conference President Sajad Gani Lone on Friday said National Conference founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s decision to sit on the chair in 1975 was the biggest endorsement to the decision of downgrading of the post of Prime Minister of Jammu & Kashmir.
As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Sajad said history would have been entirely different had Sheikh Abdullah not sat on the chair.
“You were handed the government on a platter in 1975. Who accepted and endorsed the downgrading of the Prime Minister’s post to Chief Minister’s post? Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was the tallest leader. It was he who accepted the downsizing of the title from PM to CM. When a Prime Minister sits on a Chief Minister’s chair, it is the biggest endorsement of that decision. Had he not sat on the chair, history would have been different,” he said.
He said National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah did not go to the United Nations in 1994 for Kashmiris.
“You (NC MLA Mir Saifullah) said Farooq Abdullah went to the United Nations. Why did he go there? Did he go to save Kashmiris, or only to speak that those killed in Kashmir were guilty? I leave that to your conscience. Certainly, he did not go there for the people of Kashmir,” he said.
Lone said the National Conference voted for the passage of POTA in Parliament, which, he said, was mostly used against Kashmiris.
“Did you not vote for POTA? Where was POTA applied except on Kashmiris? Did you vote or not vote for it in Parliament? POTA was mostly used against Kashmiris,” he said.
He said the National Conference allied with Central parties for more than 20–25 years.
“The National Conference claims that the Centre is against them. But let me ask: who came from the Centre in 1975-me or you? Why did you go into alliance with Congress in 1984 after they had dislodged you earlier? If they were so bad, why ally with them again? You formed another alliance with them in 1984. You were also a foreign minister with the BJP. Then again, you went into alliance with them in 2008. In fact, you spent 20–25 years in alliance with the Centre,” Lone said.
On NC’s claim that they were misled by the Centre when they went to New Delhi ahead of abrogation of Article 370, Sajad Lone asked why they offered him shawls.
“Why did you offer them Shawals? He(Omar Abdullah) has increased the rate of shawls,” Lone said.
Sajad said gun came into Kashmir due to rigging of 1987 polls. “Yasin Malik picked up the gun only after 1987. Today, we are sitting here while he waits in jail, uncertain whether he will face the gallows. Shabir Shah never picked up a gun. You lodged FIRs against him in petty offences to belittle him,” he said, adding that the issue of rigging in 1987 has not closed yet.
He said the issue of reservation would have bigger ramifications than 1987.
“Our population constitutes 60 percent, yet our share in jobs is only between 25 to 30 percent. We are not unintelligent; in fact, we are ahead in merit. But when reservations are applied, our share is reduced to 30 percent. This is a serious issue,” Lone said.
“The youth of Kashmir see nothing but darkness ahead. We demand a resolution that ensures 60 percent of the population receives 60 percent of the jobs. The cabinet sub-committee’s resolution falls short of addressing the genuine concerns of Kashmiri youth,” he said.
He said the shortfall for Kashmiris in jobs is 35 percent, but the CSC decision would increase their share by only 2 percent.
He said that he wants Jammu and Kashmir to remain united, but Kashmiri youth should not have to pay the price of unity.
“Not a single drop of blood in my body harbours ill will towards the people of Jammu. But they must look upon Kashmiris as their own children,” he said.
Mocking BJP legislators over celebrating the derecognition of SMVDIME, Lone said these “Yodhas (warriors)” celebrated the move.
“These Yodhas distributed sweets to celebrate the derecognition of the college. What will our children think of us 30 years down the line when they see that they celebrated the derecognition of a college? I have even heard that the entire country wants warriors like them,” he said—(KNO)