New uncertainties; no poll will be failure: Omar

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 23

Terming the February 14 Pulwama terror attack the trigger point of new uncertainties in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah has said not holding simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls would be a “monumental failure”.

In an interview to The Tribune, the former Chief Minister said elections “could give breathing space to the people, who are currently choked by uncertainties — revival of militancy, question mark about the education and future of Kashmiri students who have come home after facing harassment in various parts of the country, and the dangerous slide in India-Pakistan relations”.

“We want elections immediately. That means simultaneous parliamentary and Assembly polls. There are Supreme Court directions that the elections should be held within six months of dissolution of Assembly, but what I am told is that the state government is asking for deferment of polls. If it is true, then it is a monumental failure of the government,” he said.

On reports of airlifting of 100 companies of Central Armed Police Force personnel ahead of the hearing of Article 35A in the Supreme Court, he said, “I am hearing that they are bringing an ordinance on the Article (under contest in the SC).”

“I am sure Governor Satya Pal Malik knows all this and he is not speaking at all. The Governor, who doesn’t spare any occasion to speak on various subjects, is not saying even two words about it,” he said. “The Governor may be legally and constitutionally within his rights to do what he’s doing, but I strongly believe it is politically and morally incorrect.”

Voicing his concern over the Pulwama attack, Omar said this was the first suicide bombing after 2000. It showed, he noted, the revival of militancy in its dangerous manifestations. “It doesn’t bode well for the state. Kashmiri students who were harassed have come back and there is uncertainty about their education and future.” Omar also noted the unpredictability in Indo-Pak relations. “There is a lot of rhetoric of war being exchanged. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has threatened to retaliate if his country is hit. We really don’t know what is going to happen.”

The former CM, however, observed, “When the PM goes to South Korea to pick up a peace prize, then certainly the nation is not in an emergency mode.”

“I am not satisfied with what Pakistan says. This sort of attack (Pulwama) cannot be carried out by militants locally. There is an external angle too,” he said, while questioning Pakistan for demanding “actionable evidence”. “What happened to the evidence provided post 26/11 and after the attack on the Pathankot airbase?” he asked.

‘What is happening?’

Nobody knows what is happening. Those who don’t know anything are reading two plus two as 22. And those who know everything are keeping mum. In the uncertainty, inimical interests thrive. —Omar Abdullah, Ex-CM

BSF deployed in Srinagar after 14 yrs

• The BSF on Saturday was brought back to Srinagar after 14 years as the Centre moved 100 additional companies of paramilitary troops to J&K in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack
• The BSF has been deployed at five places — four in Srinagar and one in Budgam districts — and has replaced the CRPF
• Officials said the move is aimed at strengthening the law and order. “The BSF along with the ITBP companies shall take over the static guard duties of the CRPF companies deployed in Kashmir zone,” they said PTI