By IANS,
New Delhi: Rejecting criticism of his style of functioning, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday said that the main problem confronting the state was “political” and lessons need to be learned from the crisis that has seen strife across the Valley in the past few months.
In an interview with CNN-IBN news channel, Abdullah said that the slogans during protests in Kashmir were not directed at his government and those trying to link the problem to his style of functioning were underplaying the complexity of the issue
“We need to bring a political solution to Jammu and Kashmir, both in the cause of a dialogue with Pakistan and also through an internal dialogue… By focusing on my style of governance, you are distracting from the main issue. In which protest did you see slogans against my government? The slogans were ‘Hame chahiye Azadi, Go India Go’. What has that to do with my style of governance,” he said.
“There are lessons to be learnt from this crisis – lessons I have to learn, lesson the state has to learn and important lessons the Government of India has to learn. Don’t underplay the complexity of the issue that if I change my style of governance, miraculously, everything will get better. Till June, you hadn’t a problem with my style,” Abdullah observed.
On the all-party delegation’s visit to the state, he said it had gone better than expected.
Answering a question about separatists terming the visit of all-party delegation a cosmetic exercise, Abdullah said that if it was beginning of something bigger, then it was an important first step.
Asked if he supported the manner in which members of all-party delegation met the separatists, the chief minister said that one of the problems with Kashmir has been that thrust has been laid on building a consensus. “If we had waited for a consensus before these meetings with the separatists, it wouldn’t have happened. The fact that happened, there is hope. I am glad that they didn’t wait for any consensus to emerge.”
He said nobody expected the separatists to move away from their stated positions during their meeting with members of all-party delegation.
Asked about demands for his resignation, Abdullah said everyone was entitled to an opinion and his job was to do everything possible to restore normalcy in the Valley.
He said that those who say that his removal will lead to an immediate end to violence, should explain their relationship to the violence.
“Clearly, that point of view raises more questions than answers. Either they are overstating their position or there is something more deep rooted than that… hopefully, the deaths of these individuals will not go in vain and that we will have a political process that will lead to a lasting solution.”
On the criticism of his absence from Srinagar on Eid, the chief minister said he was in the city in the morning and met media and people.
“The main issue was that in spite of a lot of effort to cause bloodshed, Eid passed of without any loss of life, without any serious injuries even though unfortunately, some government buildings were gutted.”
Justifying his party National Conference’s demand for withdrawing Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from parts of the Valley, he said nobody has demonised the Army.
“The AFSPA is unfortunately a draconian law. That has outlived its usefulness in parts of the Valley and the state… In what way does that demonise the Army? These sort of emotional responses are largely triggered so that we become apologetic about the demand that we are making,” he said.