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| HOODWINKING: Azad supports Omar, distorts facts to mislead people | | |
Rustam
JAMMU, Sept 27: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had on Friday hit the nail on the head when he lambasted Ministers and senior officers for leaving the flood victims in Kashmir valley to the care of anarchy when they needed them most. "I know the Ministers and senior officers who fled the Valley…Best Minister, best officer is one who would have died with people. When everybody would have drowned they too would have," he said in an interview to a local English language daily. Azad only made a statement of fact and he deserves appreciation for speaking the truth and exposing the misconduct of Ministers and officers.
However, Azad crossed the line when he gave full marks to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, saying he did all that was possible for him to do. "I don't hold the Chief Minister responsible. I faced the same situation when I was the Chief Minister. No officer, no Minister came forward to save the situation and I had to quit…I am not acting as Chief Minister's spokesman but as a former Chief Minister I can realize the difficulties he would be facing as his instruments and tools are not cooperating. Some officials have done a commendable job, but some Government employees are hiding behind the excuse. It's a deliberate attempt as in Jammu and Kashmir the bureaucracy is highly politicized…Some people are doing it by design. They want Omar Abdullah Government to die like this. That is not done," he said while defending Omar Abdullah for reasons best known to him.
How could he bail out Omar Abdullah whose Government remained invisible for days together when the people were suffering, crying for help and struggling for their very survival? How could he give full marks to Omar Abdullah whose Ministers and officers fled away to safer places and who didn't take any action against any of his irresponsible Ministers and officers? Azad only damaged his party's cause by swinging solidly behind Omar Abdullah by saying what he said.
Azad not only defended the indefensible, but also spoke a white lie to mislead the people about the circumstances under which he resigned from the office of Chief Minister on July 7, 2008. His statement that "no officer, no Minister came forward to save the situation and I had to quit" was as ridiculous as it was mischievous. He didn't resign because his Ministers and officers didn't help his Government to rescue people from natural calamity and provide relief to the stranded people. He resigned because the people of Jammu province, who had been outraged by his provocative decision to snatch away from the shrine board the legally transferred Baltal land, had left him with no other option but to quit. He lost the office because he handled the Amarnath land issue in a manner that pandered to Kashmiri communalists and separatists and injured the religious sensitivities of the Hindus. Azad, it seems, has lost his way. |
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