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| It is belated Congress salvo against National Conference | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 11: When the PCC chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz, stated the other day that he had stalled the revocation of the AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir what had provoked him to comment on an issue which is highly sensitive ?The answer to this question is not difficult to find as it confirms reports indicating fresh conflict between the State unit of the Congress and its partner, the National Conference.
But this can be a generalised statement. Actually the Congress, which is reeling under growing peoples' resentment and disenchantment, has begun moves to regain the ground that it has lost in the State, especially in the Jammu region. Hence announcing that he had initiated moves which led to the delay in withdrawal of the AFSPA is seen as part of the plan of Soz to win over the support of people in the Jammu region.
Whether he succeeds or not is one part of the story. The other part is if such an announcement may lead to further erosion of the Congress in the Kashmir valley where majority of people are said to be supporting the demand for withdrawal of the AFSPA. Yes possibilities for such a situation seem to be bright. Does it mean that the Congress is keen to establish and strengthen its bases in the Jammu region and leave the Valley to the NC and the PDP to settle their scores.
If Soz and his party colleagues have such intentions they need to be told to revise their plan and try to regain whatever ground it has lost in the Kashmir valley. Informed sources said that if left to the leaders of the State unit of the Congress they would not mind adopting offensive postures against its partner, the National Conference. Even in the face of reports that the Congress high command is in favour of continuing the three-year old political arrangement the State unit leaders have started needling the NC. In a bid to emerge as a people friendly organisation the Congress leaders in the state have conveyed to their party bosses in New Delhi that the Congress should lend support to the NC from outside.
Not fully satisfied with this plan two Congress Ministers announced to withdraw their signatures to allow them a chance to express the party's opposition to Justice Sagheer Ahmed's report on Centre-State relations.
And if anything was left in the Congress party's plan of pricking the NC it was completed by Soz who claimed success in having stalled revocation of the AFSPA. He has stated that
"I have won on this front at the national level because it was my stand that any decision on AFSPA revocation should not be taken in a hurry and the issue should be discussed threadbare at various levels".
He has agreed that both Congress and National Conference have their own policies and programmes, Soz said, "There was no alternative to us. We formed the coalition but did not form a Common Minimum Programme because the situation demanded so".
Responding to a query on the visible cracks within the party (Congress), the PCC chief said though there were "some sluggish activities in certain areas", he has been able to lead the party and keep it "united" in the State.
Toughening his stance over the delay in the introduction of 73rd and 74th amendments in the Panchayat Act in J&K, the PCC chief warned that it would be wrong if the point of view of the party was not accepted. Soz said his party has not given up its struggle for implementation of the two amendments as without these the election of local bodies and block council would be of no use.
Will the Congress succeed in reviving its hold on people by trying to needle the NC on various issues ?Possibilities seem to be remote because it would be late for the Congress to absolve itself of all the ommissions and commissions the ruling coalition had resorted to. It is so because people have not forgotten that the Congress remained a willing partner in the mess during the last three and a half years. Whether the Congress succeeds in its mission of cleansing its image it has started building pressure on the NC leadership to take the partner into confidence on all political, economic and administrative matters. It wants the NC leadership to stop taking the Congress either for granted or for a ride. |
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