A day after working president of the opposition National Conference (NC) Omar Abdullah defined glaring contradictions on the Sainik colony proposal as a possible “ruse to settle non-state subjects” in the Valley, Congress workers held a protest in Srinagar, opposing Mehbooba Mufti Government.
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Mehbooba said she hoped that Omar has proof and has not committed a “mistake” by levelling “false accusations”.
The controversy surrounding establishing a Sainik Colony emerged after media reported that the government was working on a proposal to set up a colony for the ex-servicemen of the Indian Army and paramilitary forces who have served in Jammu Kashmir and wanted to settle in the State.
Akhtar said reports about Sainik Colony were aimed at disturbing peace in the state at a time when tourism and business activity has just started picking up.
He added if Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, permits the BJP and the RSS to accomplish its agendas on J&K “it would be a political death for her and end of PDP in the State”.
Omar posted a picture from a document regarding allotment “of 350 kanals of land for Sainik Colony at Srinagar” on his Twitter account and said, “If you (Mehbooba) have the guts & truly believe this image is fake file a case against me in the nearest police station TODAY!!” The very next month, the divisional commissioner in a letter on the 10th of April agreed in principal to provide 173 kanals of land for the proposed sainik colony in Srinagar and Budgam districts.
Mehbooba said Omar was a chief minister of the state and knows that no power – be it the chief minister of the state or the Prime Minister – can go against the special status. “There seems to be an uncanny similarity between what PDP did in 2008 and what the PDP-BJP Government is trying to do today with the “Sainik Colony” proposal”, he added.
Right wing Hindu nationalist lawmaker Tarun Vijay has said that “Sainik Colony would be like planting saffron in Kashmir”.
Speaking to reporters, the chief minister said her father Sayeed had made a historical and hard decision to ally with the BJP and that decision was for safeguarding the identity of the state and not to cause any damage to it. The same Mehbooba who had publicly said that BJP could never be acceptable to the people of the state has gone on to assume the role of ridiculing Muslim countries and societies for their internal struggles.
Mehbooba said she does not understand as to why such issues are raked only when the summer arrives and a large number of tourists start visiting the state. “I hope he has not repeated that mistake…”
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“The mainstream parties are there and swear on the constitution, so people like Omar should not fall prey to rumours”, the Chief Minister said.
