Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the resumption of talks between India and Pakistan was a good beginning though not much should be expected at this time. He, however, pointed out that infiltration had increased in the past two years.
He was replying to the three-day-long debate on Governor N.N. Vohra’s address to the joint session of legislature on February 22.
Mr. Abdullah came down heavily on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which had been boycotting the Assembly proceedings for last three days.
On Thursday too, the PDP members walked out after Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister A.M. Sagar told its president Mehbooba Mufti to resign as she failed to prove her allegation that the government had raised a counter stone-pelting force. PDP members were not present during Mr. Abdullah’s reply.
Mr. Abdullah said PDP members were praising the government at the District Development Board meeting but raking up the issue of human rights in the Assembly. He countered the PDP with figures on human rights violations. During the PDP’s regime with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as the Chief Minister, 1,231 people were booked in three years while in “my tenure only 370 people have been booked.” Similarly in the PDP regime, 2,205 civilians were killed, against 94 during the present coalition government’s tenure.
Mr. Abdullah said during his governance, the State saw less bloodshed than during the Mufti’s rule.
He was ready to release all the stone-throwers if the mohalla or masjid committees gave a guarantee that they would not indulge in stone-pelting again.
Earlier, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti charged the government with failing to tackle law and order situation in the State.
“There is an urgent need to restore peace and end the oppression and suppression that the government is resorting to by booking teenagers under the Public Safety Act and Section 121 of the Ranbir Penal Code, which are harsh,” she said.
