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| Omar to stay as CM | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Aug 3: The Congress led UPA Government has opted for status quo in Jammu and Kashmir. Good news for the loyalists in the state unit of the Congress and the major section in the National Conference. Bad news for the Panthers Party and the PDP that had favoured placing the state under the Governor's rule.
The decision on continuing its support for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was taken during the latter's detailed meeting with Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and his four cabinet colleagues in New Delhi on Monday. Omar had been summoned to Delhi after the situation assumed alarming dimensions in Kashmir. But Omar Abdullah's plea that the current wave of violence was not directed against him and his Government but had been engineered by the separatists who had the open backing from agencies across the LOC.
Before Omar had landed in New Delhi the top brass in the union Government had deliberated on two options. Either to replace Omar Abdullah by his father Farooq Abdullah or place the state under the Governor's rule. Two developments are said to have motivated the centre for favouring the status quo. First, Dr Farooq Abdullah had conveyed to the Prime Minister his inability to replace his son as Chief Minister because that could create added problems. Prime Minister and his senior cabinet colleagues besides the Congress high command had received reports from various sources and agencies that change of guard at this juncture could provide encouragement to the separatists and their supporters who may start thinking that they have the powers to be king makers and breakers.
Secondly, the central leadership had come to realise that placing the state under the Governor's rule could demolish the democratic structure that has been in existence in the state since the 1996 Assembly elections. Hence the centre did not want to allow a situation to go back to the 1990-1996 period when the state had no elected Government but was under the central rule. Also, under the Governor's rule it would be separatists versus the centre resulting in the marginalisation of the mainstream political parties.
No doubt the centre has decided to support Omar but it has made its unhappiness clear. It wants Omar to modify his style of functioning by neither ignoring people who come to meet him nor sideline senior leaders of the National Conference nor take the Congress leaders in the state for a ride. He has been told to revamp the state administration so that people experienced change in the style of completion of various development projects. No doubt the centre has told Omar that the issue of providing political package to the state could be discussed only after the security scenario improved and peace returned to Kashmir he has been assured that some steps will be taken to boost the employment package for various categories of unemployed youth in the state.
The result of the Omar-PM meet was that dissidents in the Congress were humiliated. They had expected either Omar to be replaced by Dr farooq or by Ghulam Nabi Azad as they had believed that they may be suitably rehabilitated if their plan materialised. They have been told by the union Minister Prithvi Raj Chavan to go back to Kashmir and promote unity as it was not the time to settle scores.
Indications are that Omar Abdullah may not find himself a prisoner of indecision after he received full backing from the centre. And he is still on the notice. Hence he has to act fast and firm so that he is able to produce results. |
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