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Saturday,
August 18, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Don’t embarrass Farooq, Jammu BJP told Resolve J&K issue, we’ll drop gun: Hizb Ex-minister
Peer Gias dead
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Shopping complex stone laid
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Don’t embarrass Farooq, Jammu BJP told Jammu, August 17 Senior BJP leaders, reports said, accepted the plea of the leaders from Jammu that it was necessary for the survival of the organisation, especially now when the Assembly elections are to be held within next one year to act as an effective opposition party. But at the same time the party High Command is said to have advised the party leaders from Jammu to restrain their outbursts against the Chief Minister. Sources said that the BJP leadership, especially the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, is not keen to support Dr Abdullah because of his support to the NDA but the Chief Minister has become indispensable for the Government of India. This so after separatists, especially the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, adopted belligerent postures and following the feedback the Centre got from the disturbed state that there was no political leader who had the capacity to replace Dr Abdullah. When Dr Abdullah was told about the BJP campaign launched in Delhi, he is stated to have threatened to resign if the Centre did not trust him. This had the desired impact on the BJP leadership and hence the senior leaders of the party from Jammu were summoned to Delhi. Though these leaders were to be cautioned against growing dissidence, the purpose was to restrain them from launching an open campaign against the Chief Minister. When Dr Abdullah was asked to comment on the BJP campaign, he said, “They have to live. Let them abuse me, nothing will happen to me.” In fact, the Chief Minister feels uncomfortable over the way the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, has been voicing criticism against the performance of the Farooq regime. Being an old party guard and hailing from Jammu, Prof Gupta, has better knowledge about the work style of the Chief Minister and his ministerial colleagues which has enabled him to expose some shady activities of the ruling National Conference. Professor Gupta has another reason to campaign against the ruling National Conference leaders: He and his party colleagues have reports that the NC leadership has given favours to some BJP leaders in Jammu who have thwarted the smooth functioning of the organisation. However, a couple of National Conference leaders said that the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir has not been able to keep its house in order. Dr Abdullah has reached a stage where he does not face any serious threat from any other opposition party. He could have been unnerved by the state unit of the Congress, which has a base in all regions of the state, but owing to severe groupism, the Congress does not hold any challenge to him. Since the BJP’s influence is confined to three of the six districts of the Jammu region, the Chief Minister is not bothered over the BJP campaign against him. The Peoples’ Democratic Party, led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a former Union Home Minister could have posed problems for him. But the party has not been able to establish its foothold in all 14 districts of the state. The PDP survives on the strength of the Mufti and his daughter, Ms Mehbooba, and those with him are not influential. The Chief Minister, meanwhile, is quite determined to get autonomy restored to the state. He has said that the autonomy resolution is with the Central Government and it is for the NDA government to examine it and take a decision in the context of the latest situation in Jammu and Kashmir. When asked whether he would accept a midday between the autonomy report and the proposed devolution of more powers to the state, the Chief Minister said, “let the Centre examine the report, let it make a beginning and later a discussion could be held on it.” His party leaders have already decided to use it as a poll issue during the next Assembly elections. This issue alone may not help the NC to muster voters’ support, but the matter is dear to a big section of people in the Kashmir valley. |
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Resolve J&K issue, we’ll drop gun: Hizb Srinagar, August 17 “Hizb has no plans to announce ceasefire again and will continue its armed struggle till the Kashmir issue is resolved according to the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” divisional commander and newly appointed spokesman of the outfit Asad Yazdani said in an interview to a local news agency which appeared in an Urdu newspaper here today. Yazdani said his organisation would lend support to any move aimed at finding a peaceful solution to Kashmir issue. “We have a sword in one hand, we have safely kept the olive branch in the other and it is up to New Delhi which of the two hands it prefers,” the Hizb commander who was one of the militant leaders who held negotiations with the Central team after the outfit announced unilateral ceasefire in Kashmir in July last year, said. “We had provided a chance to India last year by calling a ceasefire. Now the situation does not allow the same to happen again,” Yazdani said. However, he said the ongoing armed movement in Kashmir had nothing to do with so-called fundamentalist or Taliban movements. “Hizbul Mujahideen will say goodbye to the gun the day the Kashmir issue is resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the state,” he added. The ceasefire ended abruptly even as the Army stopped operations against the Hizbul last year with the outfit setting pre-conditions for its continuance. The Hizbul had demanded inclusion of Pakistan in the talks and acceptance of Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed issue which was not acceptable to New Delhi. The outfit later blamed New Delhi for the failure of the ceasefire. The Hizb commander did not agree with the statement of Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Mohammad Sayeed that the “jehad” (holy war) against India would continue even after the resolution of Kashmir issue.
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Ex-minister
Peer Gias dead Srinagar, August 17 He was the chairman of the legislative council from 1957 to 1963. He also served as minister before he became vice-president of the Pradesh Congress Committee. He had been out of politics for the past some years.
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Shopping complex stone laid Jammu, August 17 The Chief Minister announced that more teeth would be given to the Pollution Control Board (PCB) for environmental protection in the state. |
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