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| All party meeting hits first roadblock | | PDP says 'no' to offer, BJP too in 'dilemma' | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, July 9: In what can be seen as the first roadblock that has hit the effort of the NC led coalition government to bring in some calm in Kashmir at the political level, the main opposition party has declined the offer of attending the All party meeting convened on Monday by the Chief Minister. BJP, second largest opposition also appears to be in dilemma and divided over becoming a part of what is expected as consensus on 'joint appeal' for peace and pacifying the tempers.
In a formal reply to the offer in the form of a letter written back to the Law Minister Ali Mohammd Sagar, the PDP while saying a 'big no', has counted on the number of killings, human rights abuses, fake encounters etc, and of course party's stated stand on what it feels that Omar Abdullah led coalition government has failed to deliver and govern as per the aspirations of the masses. Interestingly, PDP has tried to corner government contending it has not made the 'agenda' of the meeting clear in the notice the party leadership has received today."
Even as the format of the notice leaves much to be desired in terms of etiquette and the purpose of the meeting, party leader Mehbooba Mufti wants this to be acknowledged it and send this communication in reply………… It is understood from media reports that the meeting has been called to discuss the present crisis facing the state in the wake of innocent killings at the hands of government forces. The notice surprisingly doesn't make any mention of the agenda for the meeting", the contents of the letter said.
Explaining in detail the reasons for rejecting the offer, PDP has further contended that government did not heed its earlier requests of extending cooperation when both PDP Patron Mufti Mohammad Syed and president Mehbooba Mufti drew attention towards series of killings and sought holding of a special session of state Legislature to discuss the issue.
" The suggestion was rejected with a degree of contempt by the Chief Minister as "having no merit" in it", the PDP reply in the letter send today stated.
Attributing the government failure in handling the issues which has snowballed in present crisis, the PDP leadership feels that "calling out of army for keeping law and order is obviously the last line of defense for any administration…. And, that has been tried".
Contesting the government offer PDP has minced no words and made it emphatically clear that it doesn't appreciate the purpose of calling a meeting of political parties at this juncture. "We see no merit in it and therefore would want to be excused out of this purposeless exercise……", concluded the reply on a negative note.
"It is no point becoming a part of the government brigade when the whole house is afire…..things are out of control….we don't want to carry forward the cart laden with sins committed by the government", said a seniormost leader of PDP wishing not be named. "We are the watchdogs and our job is to find out where the government falters……if we become part of government strategies people would measure us by the same yardstick they are suing for this government", he explained.
On the other hand the Bharatiya Janata Party is also divided over attending an all party meet convened by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah next week to discuss the crisis in the wake of deaths of civilians and clashes in the Kashmir valley. With 11 legislators, it is the fourth largest party in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Though it is critical of the National Conference Congress coalition government's handling of the situation, the BJP blames the Congress more than the Chief Minister, apparently because Congress is its main rival party. The BJP leadership had not received the invitation till today afternoon.
"We haven't received a formal invite as yet," a senior BJP leader said, adding "It will be decided only after that," he said.
The BJP in Jammu is divided into two factions, one being friendly with Abdullah and the other opposed to him, say political analysts, adding that this has been the trend since the party won an all-time high number of 11 seats in the assembly.
"The fact is the party has no presence in Kashmir Valley and attending an all-party meet at this time when the whole thing has spun out of the chief minister's control would be an exercise in futility," said a BJP leader.
He admitted that there was a faction within the party that was keen on supporting Abdullah.
"When we extended the hand of cooperation, the chief minister spurned it, now when the Kashmir is on edge and he has lost control of everything and matters have shifted into the hands of Delhi, he has called an all-party meet. It's like calling a fire brigade after the whole house has burnt down," a senior PDP leader told IANS on condition of anonymity.
However, he said the final decision would be taken by the party's political affairs committee.
Meanwhile government has invited the Presidents and Heads of State Units of 12 recognized political parties and groups for an All Party Meeting on Monday.
These parties and groups include National Conference, Indian National Congress, People's Democratic Party, Bartiya Janta Party, National Panthers Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Unit) Communist Party of India (State Unit), Peoples Democratic Forum, Democratic Party Nationalist, Bahujan Samaj Party (State Unit), Rashtrya Janta Dal (State Unit) and Nationalist Congress Party (State Unit).
A similar notice was issued by the Minister today in respect of the meeting of MLAs and MLCs of coalition partners on July 11.
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