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| Farooq, Omar 'poster boys' of New Delhi: Mehbooba | | 'Gag on media intolerable' | | Sandeep Bhat
Jammu, Feb 27: Strongly condemning the gag on media in Jammu, People Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti today called Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father, ex-Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah 'poster boys' of New Delhi.
"They have always acted as 'poster boys' of New Delhi and ensured people of Jammu and Kashmir remain at a distance from New Delhi. They cannot act independently and hence, have always gagged media which is intolerable," said Mehbooba while addressing a hurriedly called press conference at her residence here today.
She said "In Kashmir, media is gagged by calling it anti-national. Now they have begun to apply a similar yardstick to media in Jammu. They forced youth to take a different path in Kashmir valley, now they are doing the same in Jammu. "Situation is likely to worsen if the government continues its abhorrent attitude," said Mehbooba. She maintained that Omar is getting stronger in person but the institution of Chief Minister is suffering.
"Institution of CM has lost credibility. We appeal media to join in our campaign to save the state and the institutions which cannot be possible also without honest appraisal by the ruling class who were unfortunately misguided by self-assumed bias and tendency to live in the world of fantasies," said Mehbooba. Erosion in Chief Minister's institution is a sad account of misgovernance in corruption ridden state, said Mehbooba.
"Before I make mention of urgent issues dogging the state of Jammu and Kashmir, I as an individual and also head of the largest opposition in Assembly feel it my bounden duty to express my dismay and shock over the treatment meted out to press fraternity today in Assembly, from the treasury bench as well as from the presiding officer. While you have your own code and initiative to deal with such crisis, I have an obligation to express solidarity and will hope that press is honoured at least for the role it is playing despite criticism and odds," maintained the leader of opposition.
"Dear journalists, like you me and my party has more unpleasant experience about gagging voices by NC whenever it is about a public debate and discourse or about issues brought to fore as a public trust. We have since inception of the budget session cast upon ourselves this duty towards the people to raise issues of their interest or issues that affect our polity. This would deserve more the mention of the miseries of people compounded by mis-governance as also the erosion in the authority of the institution of Chief Minister in Jammu and Kashmir, the gift of Omar Abdullah to the state," she alleged.
She reiterated that it was actually in 2002 when things had started moving from hypocrisy and double speak to honest approach of meeting the urges of the people through good-governance and plain talking. "For the first time emotional blackmail of Plebiscite days was substituted by fulfillment of goals in gradual and honest manner. Let me refer here to then Prime Minister Vajpayee's peace initiative undertaken from troubled Srinagar itself and follow up in Indo-Pak friendship which made the cross-LOC trade and opening of Srinagar-Muzaffrabad road possible as a dream come true," added Mehbooba.
She, however, rued that in the middle of confidence building and emerging scenario of change, "a process of undoing is let loose, presided by non-serious approach of the present government which is ironically refusing to improve even for their own sake." Mehbooba said "What is more worse is the institutional corruption with reports of involvement of sitting ministers and Chief Minister in alleged scams and other misdeeds. Shadow and mist of the killing of Syed Yousuf around stories of money-changing and impressions of tainted tools is hovering on entire political spectrum of the state , bringing it to disrepute and . As a natural consequence people are influenced by the gruesome details which offer no escape to masters of horror. State's fate is hanging," she alleged.
Mehbooba concluded by saying that despite unflinching support which was extended to Omar Abdullah at National level , both from his " friends" in Delhi, the ruling parties and the opposition, but this is a " wasted opportunity " as the ground situation bears testimony to a persistent decline and fall in values, growth and governance. "The tragedy is defined more explicitly by a bare fact that neither the distress of widows , orphans or disabled nor the suffering of unemployed educated youth moves the conscience of Chief Minister under scanner," maintained Mehbooba. |
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