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| Afzal's hanging likely to damage poll prospects of NC | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 9: NC leader and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today did well to make a passionate appeal to the people to maintain calm and not do anything that could vitiate political atmosphere in the state, especially Kashmir Valley where even a petty incident leads to violence, strikes, shutdowns, dharnas and clashes. He made the appeal following the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri, today at 8 a.m. inside Tihar jail, Delhi. It is hoped that the people of Kashmir would not walk into the trap of extremists and help the Chief Minister, who also holds Home portfolio, maintain law and order, especially in the troubled Valley. At the same time, however, the Chief Minister has to ensure that his uncle and senior party leader Mustafa Kamaal, who always fishes in troubled waters and is in the habit of making irresponsible statements, does not go further and make statements which have the potential of arousing passions in the Valley. He has to be reined in forthwith considering the controversial statement that he made today: He said it was sad that the Government of India rejected clemency petition and hanged Guru to death, instead of commuting his death sentence into life imprisonment. His government has taken all the precautionary measures, including putting under house arrest certain separatists, to ensure that no untoward incident takes place in the Valley in the aftermath of Guru's hanging. It is appreciable. He should also rein in the likes of Kamaal in his party and there are many Kamaals in the NC. This is imperative. It is also appreciable that his Government and the Central Government are working in tandem to defeat the evil designs of those who are likely to exploit the Guru's hanging to promote their pernicious agendas and remain in limelight. It appears the Chief Minister has prepared himself to face the situation as it develops.
While the hanging of Guru would surely keep the Chief Minister awake in the night for many days and his law and order machinery on its toes always fearing some backlash, the hanging of Guru also will have a direct impact on the state's political scene in general and the Kashmir Valley in particular. The reason is that the execution of Guru took place when he is at the helm of affairs in the state and when his party is part of the Congress-led UPA Government which rejected the mercy petition and okayed the execution of Guru. He is on record having said that he would want the Union Government not to execute Guru taking into account the "larger interest".
Now that Guru has been hanged and buried inside Tihar jail, it is obvious that his detractors in the Kashmir Valley would use this issue to the hilt to tarnish further the image of the already not-so-popular NC practically suggesting that he not only failed to protect the life of Guru, but his party became a party to the decision that was executed today. The beneficiary obviously would be the main opposition PDP, which has already created for itself a stable constituency in the Valley by exposing the weaknesses and failures of the NC-led coalition government in the state, as also by creating an impression across the state that the NC diluted its "ideology" from time to time to capture power or to retain control over it. The PDP will not, it appears, say much on the Guru's hanging for reasons not really difficult to understand, but even that would not adversely impact its poll prospects because it will be the NC which would be on the defensive. The truth is that the hanging of Guru will benefit the PDP, which continues to maintain friendly relations with the Congress, and harm the NC. While issuing an appeal, Omar Abdullah admitted that there is the possibility of his detractors taking advantage of the situation to promote their political interests. Everyone knows who he hinted at. The NC leadership will have to put in all that it commands to keep the gullible and emotional Kashmiri Muslims on his right side. |
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