EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Dec 26
Calling for a debate over Working Group (WG) recommendations suggested by its chairman, Justice (retd) Sagheer Ahmed, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz today reiterated that his party would facilitate dialogue with other parties and groups on Centre-State relations’ report.
He also asserted that the Congress Party has no difficulty in discussing the documents of both National Conference’s autonomy and Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Self-rule.
Talking to the media persons at the sidelines of a function organised by the PCC to accord a rousing reception to him on his return from Hajj, Soz said, “My party would facilitate discussions with all on the report. We want a debate on it since the report has many areas of workable solution,” adding the report is recommendatory in nature and the decision would finally be taken by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.
“The report doesn’t say that the Government of India should accept, whatever, the National Conference’s autonomy document suggested,” he maintained.
The JKPCC chief said, “I had represented the party in this working group and I am fully aware about the deliberations that took place in the meetings. The report, nowhere, says that the proposal of autonomy is binding on the Government of India.”
“As far as the position of my party is concerned we are not averse to the discussions on the concept of autonomy. The proposition to discuss all the documents and issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir is there in the Constitution of India. As and when the dialogue is resumed, these documents can be discussed with the opinions of leaders and mainstream political parties of all regions of the state.
Soz asserted that his party has no apathy with the concept of autonomy, but he can’t guarantee that everything proposed in the document would be accepted. “I believe in much more effective dialogue to the problem rather than still remain to the problem,” he averred.
Over his party’s stand in the meetings of the WG headed by Justice Sagheer, the JKPCC disclosed, “I had objected to the BJP’s demand for abrogation of Article 370, guaranteeing special status to Jammu and Kashmir. During the meeting, I had countered Arun Jaitely’s remark that Article 370 is stumbling block in the way of development and integration of the state with the country. I had made it clear his view was negative as the Article 370 is an integral part of Indian constitution, thus can not be done away with.”
On being asked whether the WG recommendations was an offshoot of the quiet diplomacy formula, he categorically said, “the quiet diplomacy dialogue was the initiative of Union Home Minister, he knows its implications, I don’t think the report is related to quiet diplomacy.”
In reply to a question over much uproar on submission of report to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah rather than the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, he said, “I don’t think any mischief in the submission of report to the Chief Minister of the State since the report was for State-Centre relation.”
He also cleared the speculations regarding his appointment as the new Governor of Goa state, saying he feels satisfied in serving the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, he was accorded rousing reception on his arrival at Jammu Airport by the Congress leaders and workers assembled there amidst raising of slogans in his favour and the party.
Senior leaders of the party including senior functionaries of PCC, frontal organisations, DCC presidents, ministers, legislators, councilors and prominent activists and hundreds of workers greeted Soz, who arrived here for the first time, after having led the Good will Hajj delegation of government of India, this year. They also thanked the UPA chairperson and AICC president, Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh for nominating Soz to head the Indian Hajj delegation 2009 contrary to the past practice of nominated a Union Cabinet Minister as head of the Hajj delegation.
He was brought to the PCC headquarters in an open vehicle where the leaders and workers of District Congress Committee Jammu urban welcomed him at the party headquarters and profusely garlanded him.
The speakers also extended their full co-operation and support to the PCC president to strengthen Congress unit in the state as per wishes of the Congress high command. They praised his leadership qualities & and efforts to carry along all partymen in the state, in order to make Congress a number one party in the state.
Saifuddin Soz, in his address, thanked the Congressmen for his enthusiastic welcome and also a similar gesture at Srinagar two days ago.
Senior leaders who spoke included Dharmpal Sharma, Amrit Malhotra, MLC, Hari Singh, Yashpaul Kahajuria, Gurmukh Singh, Bashir Ahmed Magray, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Health, Prem Sagar Aziz, G A Mir, MLA, Mula Ram, Swran Lata, Ravinder Sharma, MLC, Amolak Singh, Shah Mohammad, Ashok Bhan, president DCC Jammu (U), Om Chopra, president DCC Samba, Prakash Sharma, Bharat Gandhi, G L Chalotra, Indu Singh Pawar-MLA, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Chuni Lal Bhat, Pardhuman Singh, Manmohan Singh, Krishan Lal Gupta, K K Pangotra and Hari Singh Chib.
Other prominent leaders who were present in the function includes A.G.Kholi, Vinod Mahajan, Lalita Sharma, Bansi Lal Gupta, Jai Singh, Uttam Singh, Santosh Magotra, Vijay Malhotra, Neelam Kumari, Dwarika Nath, Kulbushan Sharma, Hardeep Singh Mankhotia, Rajinder Sngh, S S Shangari, Balbir Thyal, Reeta Kumari, Asha Rani, Inderjit Kour, Satish Kumar, Rajni Bala, (all councillors), D S Langeh, working president DCC Jammu (U), B BGupta, V.K.Sethi, Gurdarshan Singh, Nazir Ahmed, Mansa Ram, Vijinder Khajuria, Hussian Baksah, Keshavanand, PAdmani Langeh, Vijay Sharma and block presidents of Jammu. |
