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| Sheikh Nazir's 'Plebiscite' spark fails to ignite reaction from Cong | | Pandora's Box reopened: For High Command to respond, says local leadership | | Kunal Shrivatsa
JAMMU, Jan 9: National Conference stalwart and uncle of Dr Farooq Abdullah Sheikh Nazir's spark on 'plebiscite expression' has failed to ignite any political controversy from its ally Congress, even as the former went all gun blazing against the party for what he contended afresh its failure to keep promise made by Jawaharlal Nehru with Kashmiris for resolution of Kashmir issue. The state unit leadership, as always on such contentious issues chose reticence and pushed the ball into High Command's court, saying it was for the latter to respond on such issue. Sheikh Nazir minced no words in raking up the name of Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, who he said had promised Kashmiris that plebiscite would be held, a promise that remains unfulfilled.
In what can be seen as reopening the Pandora's box ahead of next Assembly elections in the name of Kashmir issue, Sheikh Nazir who is NC's General Secretary on Tuesday did not hesitate to openly demand holding the plebiscite and terming the Instrument of Accession as conditional. This demand has come at a time when Congress continues to be its main ally in the coalition on whose support it has to continue two more years of government in the state. However, Congress, as always is cool and unresponsive to such a controversial demand, perhaps either too ignorant of its ramifications or deliberately trying to ignore. Senior leaders at the local level simply refused to make any comment and contended it was for JKPCC chief Prof Soz to react or High command's prerogative to hit back with same tenor.
Though Congress failed to react to the NC demand, the Chief Patron of National Panthers Party Prof. Bhim Singh reacted sharply and shot off a letter to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in this regard.
In the letter, Prof. Singh reminded the Prime Minister that the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, standing on the Congress crutches in J&K had publicly challenged the State's Accession with the Union of India on the floor of the Assembly last year.
"The General Secretary of NC, Sheikh Nazir, had publicly declared yesterday in a party rally that the agenda of NC was 'plebiscite', which he described as independence," Prof Singh wrote.
Prof. Bhim Singh said that even Pakistan was not asking for plebiscite because Pakistan was directed by UN Resolution to withdraw from occupied territories which Pakistan refused.
However, going by the mute response of Congress, which always advocates complete integration of Kashmir with Indian Union, it seems, the political observers feel that the party has almost bowed before its coalition partner.
While Early Times made repeated attempts to get a reaction from the Congress leadership over the NC demand, the party leaders, who came in contact, refused to say anything on the 'sensitive' subject probably fearing the ire of party high command.
It is worthwhile to mention here that senior NC leader Sheikh Nazir while addressing the party workers at party headquarters - Nawa-e-Subah at Srinagar on Tuesday accused New Delhi of backstabbing the Kashmiri leadership time and again.
The NC leader asked the Congress and Government of India to fulfill the promise of plebiscite in Kashmir made by the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru at historic Lal Chowk, Srinagar on November 18, 1947.
Sheikh Nazir said Kashmiris were always "deceived and backstabbed" by New Delhi on one pretext or the other. |
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