New Delhi, October 16
Indicating that it was willing to go an extra mile to forge a coalition with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress today said the PDP’s manifesto did not pose any “insurmountable” problems.
Congress leaders said they had studied the PDP manifesto and there was nothing in it which could come in the way of the two parties coming together.
AICC leaders indicated that the main reason for which Jammu and Kashmir PCC chief Ghulam Nabi Azad sought more time from state Governor for staking claim to form a government was that the Congress wanted the future dispensation to be stable. “As we have the support of 40 MLAs and were expecting support of more, we could have staked claim to form a government. But we want to make every possible effort to forge a stable coalition,” a senior Congress leader said here. Even with the support of all Independents and smaller parties in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress numbers do not add up to the half-way mark unless it gets the backing of some PDP MLAs.
Party leaders said Congress president Sonia Gandhi wanted all efforts to be made to see that the mandate in Jammu and Kashmir was not fragmented. It was on the directions of Mrs Gandhi that the Congress is making “determined efforts to bring about a stable, strong coalition,” they said.
The leaders said efforts were being made to forge a common minimum programme with the PDP to see that maximum people were bonded together.
On the contentious issue of the Chief Minister, the Congress leaders said the final word had yet not been heard and some way could still be found. Mr Azad today met PDP chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and more meetings would take place in the coming days.
The Congress leaders said the PDP’s manifesto nowhere talks of “unconditional talks” with militants but only path-breaking ways for peace. On the issue of the Speial Operations Group’s merger with the Jammu and Kashmir police, the Congress leaders said even their party’s manifesto talked of police reforms and human rights. “There are several points of commonality and we have started from there,” a leader said.
About the PDP’s objections to POTA, its advocacy of talks with the local militants and bilateral dialogue with Pakistan, the Congress leaders said their party was also opposed to POTA, favoured bilateral dialogue with Pakistan and was not against talks with the militants who had to be brought into the national mainstream.
Meanwhile, the Congress today demanded the de-recognition of the Shiv Sena for the inflammatory remarks of its chief Bal Thackeray.
Congress chief spokesman Jaipal Reddy said Mr Thackeray had broken his own record in “fire-eating fanaticism” in his latest Dasehra speech. “He has given an open call for the subversion of Constitution and tried to incite people to take to terrorism and to form suicide squads,” he said.
Asked if POTA should be imposed against Mr Thackeray and he should be arrested, Mr Reddy said the Maharashtra Government was examining the speech from a legal perspective and the law would take its course.
