Omar says Mehbooba got 'nothing but blessings' from Delhi

'In Handwara, you shamed Police as well the girl; in NIT, you denigrated Police as well as local students; your battle of ideas has ended up a sham'

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

_______

SRINAGAR, May 28: For the first time face to face with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Legislative Assembly, National Conference acting President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday lashed out at the ruling PDP's handling of different crises while claiming that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s "battle of ideas" had ended up a sham and his party had gone for abject sell-out to grab power twice in the last 15 months in Jammu and Kashmir.

Unlike on the day of obituary reference on Thursday when both of them stood absent, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti as well as the leader of opposition Omar Abdullah were present when Speaker initiated the motion of thanks on Governor’s address. Earlier, all through the Question Hour, entire opposition joined hands while occupying the well, waving banners, shouting slogans and staging walkout over a host of issues.

For the first time, NC MLAs shouted slogans and waved banners against 'State terrorism'. They alleged that on April 12 and 13, Police and security forces had killed five innocent civilians including a woman in Handwara after some people complained that a soldier of Army had molested a teenage girl student. They asked why the timebound magisterial enquiry report had not been made public.

In a significant intervention, Speaker Kavinder Gupta claimed that the enquiry had been completed. He assured the House that its report would be made public "within a couple of days".

The motion of thanks began with a speech by PDP's Baramulla MLA Javaid Hassan Baig. Omar was just the second speaker on the panel.

In his 45-minute speech, Omar gave a run down of the pre-election and post-election developments that led to forging of alliance between PDP and BJP besides the coalition's "mishandling" of several crises since Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s taking over as CM on March 1, 2015. He claimed that Mehbooba's government had neither direction nor a vision as, according to him, it was only the result of PDP's sellout and surrender before New Delhi and BJP just for grabbing power in J&K.

Omar reminded a cool and calm Mehbooba that her PDP had campaigned more against BJP and RSS than NC and Congress in the Assembly elections of 2014 and sought vote only to ensure that BJP and its communal wings didn't rule Jammu and Kashmir. "But after the results were out, you turned down our hand of friendship and chose to become bedfellows with BJP and RSS. You brought out the agenda of alliance and assured everything under the sky from flood relief to rollback of AFSPA. But your own MLAs and leaders lamented publicly after Mufti Sahab’s death that there had been no implementation of the promises held out to PDP in the Agenda of Alliance", Omar addressed Mehbooba directly.

"For three months, you said repeatedly that you wouldn't accept CM's chair until there were some Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) with regard to implementation of the Agenda of Alliance. Then you planted stories in media through your spokesman  (Naeem Akhtar) that AFSPA would be withdrawn, power projects would be restored to J&K, huge flood relief would come for distribution and Srinagar and Jammu would be incorporated as Smart Cities. Nothing of it came. Then you suddenly rushed to Delhi and declared that you were satisfied with the meeting with Prime Minister. Can you tell us what exactly made you satisfied?", Omar said.

"But within minutes, BJP's interlocutor called media and asserted that neither the PDP leader had asked for anything nor the PM had granted her anything. He said that the PDP leader had only sought PM's blessings. This is totally different from what you had demanded earlier", Omar said.

Omar suggested that Mehbooba rushed in to form the government with BJP when rumours spread that some of PDP's MLAs were planning to form the government without Mehbooba with the BJP. "That's perhaps what unfolded on you in New Delhi and you became desperate to bite the bait", he added. "So in days of threatening that you would go alone and never form the government with BJP, you decided to work against the same old salary", Omar added.

Omar made frontal attacks on the PDP leader and Chief Minister claiming that PDP had been reduced to a margin by the Centre and taken for granted.  He desired to know why no representative from the State had been called to two High Level review meetings on J&K by the Centre.

The former Chief Minister alleged that the PDP-led government had denigrated the local Kashmiri students in the recent NIT row when Chief Minister did not make their mention even as she called the non-J&K students as our guests. Even the Police, he claimed, had been denigrated with the replacement by CRPF at the campus.

"Similarly, the SP and the Police were put to shame in Handwara and even the girl had been humiliated with different statements she and her family members made", Omar said. He questioned the way Police had released the girl's video carrying one of her statements. "If the Police are right, why don't you defend them? Who will defend the State Police that lays down lives to protect ours? But, if the Police are wrong, why dont you punish them?" Omar asked.

Omar also claimed that the State government had failed to make its case before the Supreme Court in the recent NEET row even as, unlike other states, in J&K Education and Medical Education were in the State list. He said that the only relief given by the Supreme Court was that NEET had been deferred for one session. According to Omar, Mehbooba government had compromised State's special status and sovereignty by failing to defend J&K's own system of entrance test for admission to the medical colleges.

Omar said that the PDP-led government's policy with regard to establishment of Sainik Colonies, enclaves for migrant Pandits and implementation of the new industrial policy was not clear. "How long will you hide behind your spokesman. After all you will have to clarify. After all prople have not voted for your spokesman. They have given mandate to you", Omar said. He claimed that PDP had shown flip flop in all the major issues. "You announce a policy in the morning and roll back in the evening. What precisely are you up to?", Omar asked Mehbooba.

Omar said that the "battle of ideas" introduced by late Mufti Sayeed had proved to be a fiasco as no talks had been initiated either with Pakistan or with the native separatists. "Just see how many of them you jailed yesterday yo fail their call for shutdown. When I did it, I was labelled a demon and villain", he said. He pointed out PDP-BJP had even closed down his initiative of getting the Kashmiri youths peacefully back to their home from Pakistan.

END

Mehbooba firm on Pandit enclaves but freezes proposal for Sainik colonies

'Sheikh Abdullah and Mufti Sayeed strengthened J&K's accession to India, supported idea of India'

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
 
SRINAGAR, May 28: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday vowed to bring displaced Kashmiri Pandits back to their home and hearth in Kashmir valley while putting her foot down on establishment of the protected ghettos for rehabilitation of the minority community.

In her exhaustive reply to the discussion on motion of thanks on the Governor's address, Mehbooba said without any equivocation on the floor of Assembly that she would bring back all the Kashmiri migrants, including Muslims and Sikhs who had been displaced due to militancy since 1989, and settle them where they lived before migration. She asserted that as long as they felt insecure and were not prepared to live in their villages, her Government would accommodate them at protected transit camps---her phrase for the enclaves the opposition calls ghettos.

She made clear that the protected transit accommodations would come up at different places and the migrants settled there would go back to their old residential neighbourhoods only after they would feel safe and secure. This is Chief Minister Mehbooba's first affront to the entire separatist and mainstream opposition that has rejected the plan of Jagti-type ghettos and asserted through sratements, demonstrations and hartals that the migrants would have to live "only at their homes in their pre-1990 residential localities".

"Forcing them to return and live in their old neighbourhood would be inhuman as they don't feel safe and secure for now. They will put up at transit accommodations and subsequently settle at their own homes when they will feel safe and secure. We can't put pigeons before the cat", Mehbooba asserted. She completely ignored independent MLA Engineer Rashid's interruptions. The MLA echoed the separatists' refrain of opposition to the displaced Pandits' settlement in protected ghettos. Even the leader of opposition Omar Abdullah had on Friday strongly rejected the plan of "Jagti-type colonies" in the Valley.

"God willing and subject to my life, I will get them all back", Mehbooba said and her assertion evoked an applause from the treasury benches.

Chief Minister, nevertheless, abandoned the idea of creating Sainik colonies for the soldiers serving in Jammu snd Kashmir. "We have made it clear and communicated (to Governor and Rajya Sainik Board) that we have no land for this purpose", Mehbooba said to the disappointment of her coalition ally that was writ large on the faces of several BJP Ministers and MLAs.

Taking a dig on her predecessor Chief Minister, Mehbooba said that the opposition leader Omar Abdullah was creating confusion and triggering against her mass hatred while asserting that non-State subject soldiers were to be settled in the proposed Sainik colonies.

"Let it be clear that there was no such proposal that would have compromised the State's special status. It was a proposal mooted in previous government and the purpose was to rehabilitate the permanent resident soldiers. Omar Sahab, why are you misleading the people?", Mehbooba asked her predecessor. She added that though the proposal was only for accommodating the State subject soldiers and their families, her Government had communicated (to Governor and Rajya Sainik Board) that there was no land available for this purpose. She said she had deferred it despite NC's clarification that it had no objection to establishment of a Sainik colony if it was restricted for rehabilitation of the State subject soldier families.

Omar got up to clarify that in his speech yesterday, he only demanded to know as to what were the modalities for settlement of the proposed Sainik colony. "Don't please put your words into my mouth", he addressed the CM, suggesting that he or his party had not raised the bogey of the settlement of non-State subject soldiers.

Mehbooba devoted much of her speech to praising her father and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for his "vision" and emphasised that he had supported and strengthened J&K's accession to India in extremely hostile conditions when an air had been created against anyone who looked pro-Indian in Kashmir. She referred to the social boycott Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah's Plebiscite Front had called against the political forces strengthening Kashmir's relationship with India. She however began her speech while showering praise on the NC founder Sheikh Abdullah for ratifying and supporting accession to India earlier done by Maharaja Hari Singh. Mehbooba said that great leaders like Sheikh Abdullah and Mufti Sayeed had a great political vision and both were supporters and promoters of the idea of India.

She said it was a matter of pride for every State subject that Jammu and Kashmir was an example of communal harmony and secular ethos for centuries. "My father was voted for Assembly from Hindu-dominated RS Pura of Jammu. Pandits like Makhan Lal Fotedar and PL Handoo were elected as MLAs from Kashmir's Muslim-dominated segments", Mehbooba said.

Mehbooba justified her party's coalition with BJP with the argument that this "compulsion" was a consequence of the split mandate and a hung House thrown up in 2014. "While as PDP won maximum seats from Valley, BJP was returned from Jammu. Had we ignored that mandate and cobbled up a coalition with NC and Congress, it would have created an unimaginable dangerous situation. People in Kashmir picked up the gun after MUF's victories were bungled in 1987. I don't know how Jammu would have behaved in 2015", Mehbooba said.

Mehbooba asserted that notwithstanding her father's compulsions, PDP had got BJP's commitment in Agenda of Alliance with regard to protection of J&K's special constitutional status. She counted it her party's achievement that most of the recommendations made and endorsed in round table conferences and working groups---of which Congress and NC were a part---had been incorporated in PDP-BJP Agenda of Alliance.

"I will sit on this chair as long as our dignity is protected but I will not waste a second to quit whenever I will feel that it has become a  weakness for me", Mehbooba said to another applause from PDP Ministers and MLAs.

END

[Published in today's STATE TIMES]

NC, Congress call for Lal Singh's dismissal as Minister


Opposition rejects Governor’s address to Legislature with walkout, calls for security to Jammu Muslims


Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
 
SRINAGAR, May 25: With National Conference and Congress putting up a joint demonstration, calling for dismissal of the Forest Minister Lal Singh and seeking security to the Muslims of Jammu, the Opposition on Wednesday boycotted Governor’s address and staged a walkout on day one of the Budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature.


Reminiscent of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s protest demonstrations as the leader of opposition in the past, NC and Congress legislators obstructed Governor Narendra Nath Vohra’s joint address which, for the first time, took place at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre. The Budget session commenced with Governor’s ceremonial address jointly to all members of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council at the SKICC.

As Governor began reading out the achievements and vision of development and governance of the PDP-BJP coalition, headed by Mehbooba Mufti since April 4 this year, almost all the MLAs and MLCs of NC and Congress got up and began shouting slogans for revocation of the implementation of National Food Security Act  (NFSA). They also shouted slogans, demanding Lal Singh’s dismissal as Forest Minister. They alleged that Lal Singh had used offensive language against the Gujjar community and threatened to wipe out Muslims of Jammu with his reference to the communal riots of 1947 when a delegation of the community had gone to meet him at his home in Jammu last week.

With NC and Congress legislators, including several former Ministers, in the forefront, the Opposition shouted "Bhashan nahi ration dou", "Lal Singh ko barkhwast karo", "Lal Singh ko hata dou" and "Jammu kè Musalmanoo ko tahfuz dou". After shouting slogans and thumping desks for about 15 minutes, almost all the Opposition legislators walked out in protest. Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was conspicuously absent as he was reportedly in France.

Parallel to the NC-Congress show, independent MLA Engineer Rashid waved a banner asking what had happened to the magisterial enquiry into the killing of five civilians in the wake of alleged molestation of a 16-year-old girl by a soldier on April 12. He wanted to know whether Additional DC of Kupwara had submitted his report or not. Neither Chief Minister nor any other member from the Treasury Bench responded to Engineer Rashid.

The opposition members later staged a dharna for half-an-hour at the SKICC entrance even as Governor continued his address and the legislators and Ministers of PDP, BJP and Peoples Conference heard him with full respect. They alleged through slogans and banners that the PDP-BJP Government was taking dictation from the RSS headquarters of Nagpur and implementing the Hindutva agenda in Jammu and Kashmir.

With the mainstream opposition taking a tough stand against Lal Singh’s alleged harassment and insult to the Gujjar delegation which the Minister has denied, the separatist opposition too joined hands to mount pressure on the government. Almost all the separatist outfits and alliances, including Hurriyat Conference and JKLF, have called for total shutdown in Kashmir on Thursday.

Expressing solidarity with the Muslims of Jammu, particularly the minority Gujjar community, the separatists have demanded Lal Singh’s termination as a Minister. They have also said that the shutdown would be against the State Government’s purported plans of setting up fenced colonies for Kashmiri Pandit migrants and soldiers besides the proposal of alloting land to non-J&K industrialists on long term lease.

Apprehensive of trouble, Mehbooba Mufti’s government launched a crackdown while arresting JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik and holding other prominent separatist leaders under house arrest.

END

Militants strike in a big way after 3 years in Srinagar

ASI, head constable gunned down in Zadibal; constable on highway; Hizbul Mujahideen claims responsibility


Ahmed Ali Fayyaz


SRINAGAR, May 23: Nearly three years after killing two constables in Amirakadal area, and for the first time in the 14-month old PDP-BJP rule in Jammu and Kashmir, militants struck in a big way in the State’s summer capital on Monday, killing three Police personnel, including an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), in broad daylight. Hizbul Mujahideen immediately claimed responsibility for the twin attacks carried out in Zadibal and Tengpora neighbourhoods.


Authoritative sources told STATE TIMES that two unidentified militants on a motorcycle slowed down in front of two unarmed Policemen outside Zadibal Police Station at 10.35 am. From their pistols, they fired on chest and head of the targeted Police officials who are believed to have died on the spot. Killed like sitting ducks under the shadows of a tree, they were later identified as ASI Ghulam Mohammad Bhat of Surigam, Lolab (Kupwara) and Head Constable Nazir Ahmad Mir of Chak Sarmarg, Handwara (Kupwara). Doctors at SKIMS declared them as brought dead.


Eyewitnesses said that the militant duo zipped past two more unarmed men of the Police party of Police Station Zadibal but did not strike on them. After carrying out the attack, the assassins drove in the direction of Soura. According to eyewitness, ASI Bhat was completely unarmed while as Constable Mir was seen holding a baton.


In less than an hour, unidentified militants accosted a parked Tata Sumo at Tengpora, on the national highway bypass. One of the two militants took out his pistol and shot dead constable Mohammad Sadiq Sheikh of Dudhi Machhil (Kupwara) who was in uniform and holding an AK-47 rifle. Sources said that Sadiq, from JKAP 11th battalion  (Security), was attached as personal security officer to one Mohammad Abdullah Chaket of Handwara area who is incorporated as a leader of Pasmanda Tabqajat organisation. He had reportedly entered a nearby house to meet an acquaintance and fortunately had not returned when the militants targeted his PSO.


The assassins escaped after snatching away the AK-47 rifle of the slain constable.


Striking nearly three years after the last Police killing on June 22, 2013, when two Police personnel had been gunned down at Maharaja Bazar Amirakadal, militants spread a wave of terror in Srinagar with the twin incidents. Even as some Police officials have been attacked and killed elsewhere in Kashmir valley, Police have not suffered this kind of fatal strike in Srinagar in the last three years.


Condemning the barbaric killing of three police personnel in Srinagar, the Cabinet which met here under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, expressed profound grief over the death of the three Police officials.
Describing the killings as "cowardly acts aimed at derailing the peace and reconciliation process in the State", Cabinet said that such killings cannot deter the resolve of the Government in moving ahead to bring peace and normalcy to the State.


While expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, Cabinet assured that the Government would stand by the families of the martyred policemen in this hour of grief and will extend all possible help and assistance to the next of kin.


Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti led the ministers, bureaucracy and Civil and Police officials and security forces in paying floral tributes to the slain Police personnel. Dy CM Nirmal Singh, Minister for Law Parliamentary affairs and RDD Abdul Haq Khan, Minister of CAPD Choudhary Zulfikar, Minister for Cooperative Tsering Dorjay, Chief Secretary B.R. Sharma, Home Secretary R.K. Goyal, Director General of Police K. Rajendra Kumar and other civil and Police officers were present on the wreath laying ceremony at Police Control Room in Srinagar.


Chief Minister expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and prayed for peace to the departed souls. Recalling the sacrifices of police personnel in combating militancy in the state, Ms. Mufti said such dastardly acts were against the basic tenets of humanity and they should be condemned by one and all.


"My heart goes out to the families of the slain police personnel and I hope that the perpetrators will be taken to task soon," she said. Ms. Mufti said such attacks were "attempts by vested interests to derail the peace and reconciliation process started by the state government in Jammu and Kashmir which will also impact the economy at a time when the tourism activity had started picking up in the state".


Former Chief Minister and National Conference acting President Omar Abdullah too condemned the killing of the three Police personnel and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families. On twitter, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi expressed concern over the resurging militancy in Kashmir.


Reports from Kupwara said that large numbers of people gathered at the residences of the three slain Police officials and extended sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families. They also participated in their funeral rites including namaaz-e-janazah. Family members and relatives mourned the deaths, crying and asking why the "innocent policemen", who had "never done anything wrong" had been shot dead.


In a statement, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen spokesman Buhanuddin, on behalf of the organisation, claimed the responsibility for the twin attacks on police in Srinagar that left three cops, including an officer, dead. Burhan-ud-din told news agency CNS that at least three policemen were killed in the twin attacks carried out by a special squad of the outfit.


“Besides killing three policemen of Special Operation Group, the militants managed to decamp with a rifle of a slain policeman,” he said.


He added that Operation Field Commander of the outfit has directed the squad to intensify the attacks on Special Operation Group (SOG). “The attacks on the security establishments will continue,” he warned.


END


[ Published in today’s STATE TIMES ]

Top commander says militants have no plan to target Amarnath yatra

Warns attacks on Sainik colonies, Pandit camps, 'anti-Kashmiri' Police officials; asks people to fail Army operations with stone pelting 

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
-------------------
SRINAGAR, June 7: Hizbul Mujahideen's top operational commander in Kashmir valley, Burhan Muzaffar Wani, has claimed in a video released by his organisation on Tuesday that the militants fighting the security forces and Police had "absolutely no plans" to target the annual Amarnath pilgrimage being conducted in the months of July and August every year.

"Some BSF officer has, of late, said that the militants were planning to target Amarnath yatra. Let it be clear to all that the militants have absolutely no such plan. Devout Hindus do come here every year to perform their religious rituals and practices. We have got nothing to do with it", Burhan says in Urdu while addressing the Kashmiris in the video of about six minutes of duration shot with a cellphone camera at one of his hideouts. He has two telescopic guns in the background on either side.

Alone in the frame, facing the camera and sporting a modestly trimmed beard, 25-year-old Burhan Wani of Tral, who has grown as an icon for the youths in South Kashmir in 2015-16, however, warns attacks on the proposed Sainik colonies, transit camps of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits besides security forces and Police.

"If the proposed Sainik colonies come up, we will definitely attack them because this is our land and we will not allow any military constructions on it. As regards the Pandits, we have no objection if they return and live in their own villages and houses. But these Israeli-type settlements would not be acceptable. We will strike on them", Burhan adds.

In the beginning of his unusual statement, Burhan calls Jammu and Kashmir Police as "our brothers" but complains that India had pitted the militants and the State Police against each other. "This is all an Indian machination that our own Police brothers are dying at our hands. But unfortunately these people don't understand. They don't budge an inch. They, in fact, continue their actions against the militants and their own people. We will strike on them in retaliation", Burhan says.

"In last year's video, we had warned the Police against striking on the militants and harassing the Kashmiri youths. But now, we won't issue any warning. We will straightaway strike on anyone helping the Indian troops", says the top wanted guerrilla commander while emphasising that the militants' "real fight" is against India.

Burhan asks the youths aspiring to join his organisation to collect complete details about the activities of the Police officers and officials in their respective areas and pass it to the militants so as to sort out the Policemen working against the militants.

"People should stay away from camps besides Police and Army officers because we can attack them anywhere, anytime. However, those loving their life should perform their duty at Police stations and camps. They should not lay nakas. They should not act against the youths or the militants. Whosoever does it, will be himself responsible for his death", Burhan goes on to warn the Police.

While urging the Police to be on the side of the militants, Burhan also implores the Kashmiris that they should herd out the security forces from their localities with stone pelting wherever the troops launch an operation. He expresses gratitude to the Kashmiris for "helping and protecting the militants and providing them support and shelter". He says that one of his colleagues, Tariq Pandit of Kareemabad Pulwama, had got some militants arrested and some hideouts exposed after he was arrested by Army. "But it does not bother us much as every Kashmiri household is our hideout".

Burhan also complains against the media with his allegation that it would report only what India dictated to it. "Recently, India in Kupwara froze all the (Internet) networking to hide some incidents and killings. We can also completely choke it as media calls the militants as terrorists. Everybody here knows that the Indian troops alone are the terrorists and we are not", says Burhan.

END

[Published in today's STATE TIMES]

Mehbooba says Omar, media setting J&K on fire

Had we followed your footsteps, the state would have been on fire: Omar

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
-----------------
SRINAGAR, June 6: During a spar with the opposition National Conference leader in Legislative Assembly on the controversial proposal of the establishment of Sainik colonies, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday alleged that Omar Abdullah and some newspapers were "setting the state on fire" with inflammatory tweets and sensational reports respectively.

During Question Hour, independent MLA Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid waved a copy of Sunday's 'Kashmir Reader' claiming with the support of a picture that a colony for the soldiers was coming up near Srinagar notwithstanding Chief Minister's assurance that her Government had neither land nor any plan of setting up any Sainik colony in Jammu and Kashmir.

The story carried by Srinagar-based English language newspaper was purportedly based on the content provided by a civil society group espousing the cause of separation from India.

As entire opposition, particularly National Conference and Congress, joined the MLA's clamour seeking an explanation from Chief Minister, Mehbooba rose to shut a many mouths Reiterating that no Sainik Colony was coming up in any part of the state, she said reports springing up in this regard seemed to be "the part of a desperate and sustained campaign by certain quarters to destabilize the situation and put Kashmir on fire again".

“Let it be clear that the Army is not constructing any Sainik Colony in Kashmi", Mehbooba asserted, making it clear that the picture published by the daily was that of the Army's own construction at their land at J&K Light Infantry headquarters. She said that such constructions within the areas under occupation of Army, like the Badami Bagh Cantonment, was a continuous process which was in no way related to the state government.

“Constructions have been going on for decades in the areas which have been allotted to the Army and other security forces for their staff and the families and by playing up the pictures of some residential accommodation in the newspapers, which already exist in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir, an attempt is being made to provoke the situation and create trouble, which won’t be allowed,” she said.

“It is highly unfortunate that at a time when the tourism activity has started picking up in Kashmir and the slumped economy is slowly rejuvenating, a sustained campaign has been launched by certain quarters to dish out concocted and inflammatory reports to provoke the situation,” Mehbooba added.

An infuriated Mehbooba alleged Omar Abdullah had stoked a fire with his tweet on May 7th (sic.) while suggesting that non-state subject soldiers were being settled as permanent residents in Sainik Colonies by the State government. Even after her clarification that the government had neither land nor a plan in hand to raise any such settlement, she complained that the leader of opposition and some newspapers were misleading the people and "setting the state on fire" with tweets and unfounded reports.

"He has himself been Chief Minister and attended four meetings of the Rajya Sainik Board in which the decisions to locate land for Sainik Colonies for state subject retired soldiers were taken. However, when the matter came up during our Government, it was communicated to the concerned quarters that there is no land available for the purpose,” Mehbooba said in a scathing attack on Omar.

"Unfortunately despite knowing everything and talking of peace you are setting the state on fire... doing tweet after tweet after tweet on everything". She said that "one, two or three newspapers" were in a race to carry unfounded stories for waving of the opposition members in the House and warned that as a responsible Chief Minister she would not tolerate it.

She urged the media to play a responsible role by verifying the veracity of the reports before publishing the same. “Please investigate whatever comes to you especially on such sensitive issues before putting the same in the public domain,” she urged the media and said if there is even an iota of truth in any such move, go ahead and publish it, “but for God's sake, please don’t lend credence to hearsay.”

Mehbooba said her Government would not allow anybody to put Kashmir on fire and bring miseries to the people. “I am not here for luxuries, I am here to work and bring relief to the people, who have suffered immensely because of turmoil, mis-governance, corruption and nepotism,” she said. “I will not permit anybody to play with the lives of the people and disrupt peace and would continue to work for the welfare of the people for as long as I am here", she asserted.

The opposition benches protested against the Chief Minister’s outburst saying everything was not media created.

Responding to Mehbooba’s charge, Omar said he had never denied being part of the meetings for setting up of Sainik Colony but had never passed any order like the one he had posted on twitter earlier last month.

“If there is any such order issued during my tenure, please bring it forth. If you are here for welfare of the people, I am also here so that people are benefited,” he said. “I think when the Chief Minister is talking about setting the state on fire, she is confusing herself with me. My tenure as Chief Minister is witness.....Had we followed your footsteps, the state would have been on fire,” Omar said.

Omar said he would continue to raise issues of the publuc interest in Assembly as well as in social media. “Whether I stay in the chair for two days or two years, I will not allow anyone to play with the people of the state", Omar said while asserting that he would neither be apologetic for his tweets nor stop the same. He said that he had indeed sought a clarification from the government eith regard to the people to be settled in the Sainik Colonies. "But after their clarification, we did not rake up this issue. If some other member is raking it up, she must address the nember and not direct her attack on us", Omar added.

The spar between the Chief Minister and the former Chief Minister generated a pandemonium for about 20 minutes in the House.

Omar, who has over 14 lakh followers, also posted his reaction on Twitter. "This tweet's dedicated to @mufti_mehbooba who through her ill tempered assembly intervention made me realise how much she hates me tweeting", he tweeted and also sympathised with the media. "Amazing how she attacked the media as well today. The newspapers must've made for uncomfortable reading this morning. Explains the mood!!!"

END

Militants attempting to disrupt Anantnag polls, provoking retaliation for civilian casualties: DGP

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
----------------
SRINAGAR, June 4: Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, K Rajendra Kumar, believes that the two audacious strikes by militants on BSF and State Police in Bijbehara and Anantnag respectively on Friday and Saturday were part of their planning to disrupt the Assembly by-elections in Anantnag and the forthcoming Amarnath pilgrimage.

"Striking at crowded public places in Bijbehara and Anantnag makes it unmistakably clear that the militants plan to disrupt the June 22 by-election besides this year's Amarnath Yatra and a flourishing tourist season", Rajendra told STATE TIMES. "They have strategically chosen the holy month of Ramazan, which coincides with the passage of Amarnath Yatra, for creating a 2008-like political turmoil", Rajendra asserted.

"But we have already seen through their intentions and directed the troops and the Police to observe maximum possible restraint and avoid collateral damage", DGP said by telephone. He claimed that the militants' objective was nothing but to provoke retaliation at a crowded place where several people could be killed in crossfiring with a minute mistake or overreaction by the soldiers or Police. "We didn't fall in the trap either yesterday or today", DGP asserted.

DGP said that the authorities would nevertheless take "all the necessary preventive and administrative measures" to deal with the situation and break the militants' and their supporters' network and funding channels. "The separarists in tandem with the militants are desperately trying to create 2008-like turbulence which could come handy in the month of Ramazan", he added. He pointed out that they had first raised the "bogey" of the Sainik colonies and the Pandit colonies besides the new Industrial policy "trying to create a social unrest and disturbance".

"We are clear that we will not fall in their trap. We will get after the militants' support structure but ensure that there is no civilian casualty from our offensive. We will not act on rumours and speculations. We will launch operations only on specific information and conduct the same with total professionalism", DGP asserted.

Rajendra said that the militants' offensive was also a demonstration of their failure and desparation as Police and security forces had carried out dozens of successful operstions this year and neutralised scores of the militants and their supporters in these operations.

END

[Published in today's STATE TIMES]