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Opposition’s support to jihadists Farooq, Omar and Mehbooba outrageous

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The upshot of the Opposition’s whole attack on the Narendra Modi Government was: On what basis, Farooq, Omar and Mehbooba were detained

On February 5, 2020, the Congress, the TMC, the NCP, the NC, the TDP, the DMK and the RJD attacked the Narendra Modi Government in both the Houses of Parliament for what they called “illegal detention” of three former J&K Chief Ministers and staged walkout to express solidarity with the so-called Kashmir leaders. The Congress general secretary and daughter of Sonia Gandhi also took the plunge the same day and batted for the detained Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. She said: “It had been six months since former J&K chief ministers had been detained and asked whether India is still a democracy”. “Six months ago, we were asking how long this will carry on? Now we are asking whether we are still a democracy or not,” she also said.

The upshot of the Opposition’s whole attack on the Narendra Modi Government was: On what basis, they were detained; they upheld the Constitution of India, abided by the democratic process, stood up to separatists, and never ascribed to violence and divisiveness”. The fact of the matter is that almost the entire Opposition supported the former J&K chief ministers, commended their roles and contribution and described their detention as the murder of democracy.

Indeed, what the Prime Minister said was a blistering attack on the Opposition and the four J&K former chief ministers. What he said also made it loud and clear that his government meant business and that his government was religiously committed to implementing one nation one law doctrine at whatever cost.

It’s obvious that the Opposition overlooked what these former chief ministers in their official capacity did to hurt the country and the state. It’s not a secret that they had subverted democratic processes in a most brazen manner; jeopardized the general civil, economic and political rights of the people of Jammu and Ladakh; helped promote the Pakistani cause in J&K and promoted the menace of communalism and separatism in the sensitive border state. That the Opposition would side with them was not altogether unexpected. It was expected. These Opposition parties had all through batted for them, called them mainstream politicians and described them secularist of secularists. For them, the J&K State always meant the Kashmir region alone. For them, the people of Kashmir belonging to one particular faith meant the entire population of the state. They never considered Jammu and Ladakh and the people of these two regions a factor in the state’s political situation. They, like these three former chief ministers, considered Jammu and Ladakh Kashmir’s two colonies. They always considered the people these two provinces house third grade citizens not entitled to any say whatsoever in the governance of the state. It’s hardly necessary to reflect more on the Opposition’s attitude towards Kashmir, three former chief ministers and Jammu and Ladakh.

Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been under detention since August 5, 2019. That historic day, the Narendra Modi Government had taken four momentous decisions to create history by undoing the Nehru’s grave wrongs. That day, the highly divisive and temporary Article 370 was rendered unreal and ineffective for all practical purpose. That day, the highly discriminatory and unconstitutional Article 35A became a story of the past. That day, the Modi Government fulfilled the age-old demand of Ladakhis, particularly the neglected Buddhists, and not just created out of the J&K State Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh but also made the leftover state UT of J&K. In other words, that day, the Narendra Modi Government also reorganized the State of J&K. The most striking aspect of the whole situation was that many Opposition lawmakers that day made common cause with the Narendra Modi Government.

How did the Narendra Modi Government respond to the Opposition’s demand and criticism the very next day (February 6)? It was none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself who responded in both the Houses of Parliament while replying to debate on Motion of Thanks to President’s Address. He launched a scathing attack on four former chief ministers of J&K — Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad. Without mincing words, the Prime Minister said: “Their statements were unacceptable”. Not just this, he also declared that “August 5, 2019, was not a black day for the country but for terrorists and separatists”. To call the Opposition’s bluff the Prime Minister quoted Mehbooba Mufti as saying “India has betrayed the people of Kashmir. The country with which we decided to live has deceived us. It seems our decision in 1947 (during partition) to live with India was wrong”. “Can you accept such statements? Do you endorse them?” Narendra Modi asked the Opposition members. Then he quoted Omar Abdullah as saying “Article 370 abrogation will bring such an earthquake that Kashmir will be separate from India”. Thirdly, he quoted Farooq Abdullah’s statement “Scrapping Article 370 will strengthen the demand of ‘Azaadi’ in Kashmir. If the Article was abolished, there will be no one to unfurl Indian tricolour in the Valley”. He asked: “Can anyone committed to the Indian Constitution endorse such statements? So much so, the Prime Minister said that the “Kashmir’s identity was buried on January 19, 1990 (when Kashmiri Hindus quit Kashmir”.

Indeed, what the Prime Minister said was a blistering attack on the Opposition and the four J&K former chief ministers. What he said also made it loud and clear that his government meant business and that his government was religiously committed to implementing one nation one law doctrine at whatever cost. That his government meant business also became clearer when the same day the government of UT of J&K slapped Public Safety Act (PSA) on Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, NC general secretary and former cabinet minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and senior PDP leader and a close relation of Mehbooba Mufti, Sartaj Madni. They were booked under the PSA as soon as their six-month detention under preventive custody ended on August 6. Under the law, no person can be kept under preventive detention for more than six months and it necessitated their booking under PSA.

All this should establish that the Narendra Modi Government is moving in the right direction and doing all that it could to stem the rot in the erstwhile State of J&K. It is hoped that the Narendra Modi Government will take cognizance of the ongoing demographic invasion on Jammu as well as the report of the Ikkjutt Jammu in this regard.[1] It would be only in the fitness of things if his government ordered a high-level probe into the whole issue so that those who changed Jammu’s demography to promote their sinister agenda and create Kashmir-like situation are punished.

References:

[1] Farooq, Azad leaders of Demographic Jihad on JammuFeb 2020, PGurus.com

Note:
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

Hari Om

Hari Om is former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Jammu.

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