Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said he will continue to bat for resolution of all political issues concerning the State through dialogue as economic development cannot resolve the problem.
“Economic development cannot resolve the basic political issues confronting the State. Three wars between India and Pakistan, resorting to violence by strayed youths and different political voices reverberating across the state are not for development concerns.
“This had all happened and is happening for settlement of the basic political issues plaguing Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr. Omar told a rally in Bandipora district in North Kashmir after inaugurating a bridge and a mini-secretariat.
“I will continue to bat for resolution of all the political issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir in an amicable and peaceful manner through the process of dialogue,” he said.
Mr. Omar said he will also continue to carry forward the development agenda with full spirit and enthusiasm to mitigate difficulties of the people.
“The resolution of political issues confronting the state is need of the hour and the channels of dialogue need to be kept operative so that peace and development go hand in hand and Jammu and Kashmir becomes a state of peace, prosperity, development and plenty,” he said.
Mr. Omar said he and his National Conference want to be in power to resolve all political and developmental issues pertaining to the state and wipe the tears from the eyes of the destitute, poor and needy and help develop the State as a model and modern state where peace, progress and prosperity will rule the roost.
Attacking the opposition PDP, Mr. Omar alleged its leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed adopted deceitful tactics to create a wedge between a brother and a sister (Farooq Abdullah and Khalida Shah) in 1983 and then a year later “masterminded the desecration of temples in Bijbehara to grab power”.
He further alleged how Mr. Sayeed installed Jagmohan in 1990 as the Governor of the State and became his partner in “violence, atrocities and killings of youth”.
“This he (Sayeed) did only to grab power and become the Chief Minister,” Mr. Omar said asking people “to confirm this from George Fernandes who was then a Central Minister”.
He said when the politicians of a party like PDP say they are not power hungry, that should be considered a “brazen lie” told from the top of their voices.
He alleged Mr. Sayeed had made unsuccessful attempts to win over the support of the NC MLAs during his tenure as Chief Minister from 2002 to 2005.
“Mufti (Sayeed) tried his best to break the National Conference to stay in power. Ghulam Nabi Azad is fully aware of the attempts made by Sayeed to break the NC to remain in power,” Mr. Omar said.
