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| Congress: Nothing New in Their Utterances | | Delhi replies PDP contentions, as Azad chooses silence | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Oct 18:
*Mufti arrives in Jammu for consultation; party meeting today
It seems that the Peoples Democratic Party's latest threat of demilitarization and streamlining of the government has not worked on the Congress.
Reacting to PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's remarks against the Congress led central and state government, the major coalition partner has said that "there is nothing new in these utterances". Interestingly, this time neither the Chief Minister nor any one from the state unit of the Congress has reacted to the PDP statements. Instead, the reaction has come from New Delhi.
Reports reaching here said that the Congress has sought to downplay the PDP's demand for an early decision on troops reduction in Kashmir valley and maintained that there was no threat to the coalition government in the state on the issue.
"It is not a new thing. The UPA government is deliberating on the issue. There is no threat to the coalition government," AICC media department chairman Veerappa Moily told reporters in New Delhi.
PDP patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had urged the Centre yesterday to take a decision on its demand for troops cut and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state.
He also asserted that despite his party's unflinching support to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, there had been no movement forward on the issue even after submission of report by the concerned committees.
Meanwhile, after throwing a spanner of uncertainty in Srinagar, the Peoples Democratic Party patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today arrived here to have consultations with the party cadres on future course of action.
Though Mufti remained closeted with his senior party leaders of Jammu till late this evening, but he will be having a formal meeting tomorrow to obtain mood of the cadres on party's continuation with the government. Sources, however, pointed out that cadres' mood in Jammu is not overwhelming in favour of pulling out of the government at this stage.
When contacted, a cross section of PDP leaders said that they are keenly eyeing on some assembly seats in Jammu region and the need is to consolidate the base while staying in the government. "With elections round the corner we should have keen focus on Jammu region to bolster the poll prospects", said a PDP leader. He added, "things have changed and we are sure of winning some seats this time in Jammu", In the last assembly election held in 2002 the ruling Congress had won 15 out of the 37 constituencies from the region, and the PDP, essentially a Kashmir-centric party, could not grab a single seat.
The PDP leaders are counting on some assembly segments including RS Pura, Suchetgarh, Vijaypur, Marh, and some of the constituencies in the Muslim dominated areas of Rajouri, Poonch and Doda districts.
Although the PDP is not directly projecting itself as a rival to the Congress in the region, the signals are clear that it would field candidates in the Jammu region constituencies. |
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