Jammu, Apr 9: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday came out with a prickly yet oblique rejoinder to the “Tulip Garden bonhomie with BJP” barbs of PDP and Peoples Conference, aimed at him, while demanding discussion on Waqf Amendment Act in the House, in his absence.
In the same breath, CM Omar minced no words in asserting that the passage of the Waqf Amendment Act in the Parliament hurt sentiments of the majority community in J&K.
He was speaking to the media outside the Legislature complex after reaching the Civil Secretariat almost half an hour after the House was adjourned sine die.
With regard to restoration of statehood, he hoped that the process would start soon. “We will continue to make efforts in this connection and there will be no lacuna in our efforts on this account,” he said.
In response to questions about recent assertions about intensified terror operations by the Union Home Minister, the Chief Minister stated that the government which he headed earlier too never tolerated terrorism.
“In fact, every government had zero tolerance against terrorism. Almost the whole of J&K in 2014, when I left, was free of terrorism, except two and a half districts of Kashmir. At present also, we want that there is no militancy yet I reiterate that the fight against terrorism cannot be a success without taking the people along,” he said.
With regard to uproar regarding Waqf Amendment Act in the House, the Chief Minister said, “Majority of the Members of the House (J&K Legislative Assembly) were hurt by the passage of Waqf Amendment Bill in the parliament. They wanted to share their concern. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get an opportunity to adequately convey their emotions.”
He said that the Members wanted to reflect the sentiments of the majority population of Jammu and Kashmir (on this account), in the House.
“Anyway, what could not happen in the House that we would continue to do, outside (the House). The passage of (Waqf) Bill by the parliament hurt the sentiments of the majority community of J&K. We are the elected representatives of the people. If we don’t talk about the issues of people in the House then where they will be discussed,” the Chief Minister said.
“However, this session has ended. Now what the National Conference has to do on this issue (Waqf Amendment Act) or what will be its next course of action, will be briefed by the spokesperson or the President of the National Conference to you (media),” CM Omar said.
He said that some unpleasant and weird remarks were made against him by a few members, in his absence, in the House.
“They, who while sitting in the lap of BJP, had talked about distribution of milk and toffees; destroyed J&K and those, who befooled youth of J&K by distributing cricket bats and forcibly took them to the programme of the then Union Home Minister, spoke against me,” he said.
He stated, “Our present situation (in J&K) is a fallout of acts of those who are pointing fingers at me.”
In the same breath, the Chief Minister defended his “Tulip Garden pictures” with the Union Minister (Kiren Rijiju), describing it as a “chance meeting”, while sharply reacting to opposition’s barbs aimed at him, in his absence in the House, during the past three days amid uproar on Waqf Amendment Act.
“This is true that two days ago, I took my father along to the Tulip Garden. This was just a coincidence that a Union Minister was present there. We exchanged pleasantries. He wanted to click a picture with me. Should I have said ‘no’ to him? Should I have misbehaved with him? He wanted to click a picture, I agreed. Now that “chance encounter” is being exploited by those people, who facilitated BJP’s entry here (in J&K). Those who, so far, did not apologise to the people of J&K for “2016 carnage”, are criticising me. I believe this is absolutely not done. This is wrong,” the Chief Minister remarked.
He said those detractors should first introspect their own acts and their own ties with the BJP leadership before making accusations against him.
“They should introspect what cost J&K had to pay for those ties, then they should point fingers at me,” CM Omar retorted.
Later, the NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, joined by all party legislators in a brief presser outside the legislature complex, stated that the party would go to the Supreme Court against the Waqf Amendment Act.
Asserting that the Act violated the Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29 and 300 A, Sadiq said, “On the directions of the Party President Dr Farooq Abdullah, the party will move a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the Act, which is a direct assault on religious freedom and property rights of Muslims.”
