The manner in which the ruling coalition rejected the private member’s bill seeking endorsement of the February 1994 unanimous parliamentary resolution and supporting the clemency resolution brought in by a non-entity MLA has exposed the ruling coalition.
While the rejection of the private member’s bill on the parliamentary resolution has exposed the ruling party/ruling coalition and has shocked the people, the acceptance of the private member’s bill seeking mercy for Afzal Guru has strengthened the belief of the people that the attitude of the NC/ruling coalition towards the sinner is no different from that of Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s and others of his ilk. And, it is this hostile attitude of the people that has created a very difficult situation for the Congress Party not only in the state but across the nation
The manner in which the ruling party rejected the bill seeking endorsement of the February 1994 unanimous parliamentary resolution has created serious misgivings in the minds of the people about the real intentions of the present dispensation. It has, undoubtedly, given the people of the state in general and Jammu in particular to understand that the present dispensation doesn’t consider the so-called Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan an integral part of Jammu & Kashmir.
To appease their respective separatist patrons of the state for vote bank politics, both Congress and National Conference are equally hand in glove supporting the clemency resolution brought in by a non-entity MLA and is a game plan of the coalition to do so. Bharatiya Janata Party has vowed to expose the Congress ministers in the upcoming Assembly session of the state, scheduled to commence on September 26, 2011, who have maintained ‘criminal silence’ over Afzal Guru’s clemency.
BJP former president and national executive member Ashok Khajuria said that since his resolution seeking endorsement of the February 1994 unanimous parliamentary resolution moved in the Assembly has received a setback by the Speaker turning it down for acceptance and Afzal Guru’s has been ‘heartily’ accepted for a debate, the silence maintained by Congress in the process is quite evident of the fact that it quietly supports the resolution along with ruling National Conference as well.
”I ask the Jammu Congress ministers to make their stand clear on the issue so that people of the region should know their integrity with them as to support a terrorist’s clemency or not,” said Ashok Khajuria, adding that come what may BJP would ‘resort to all means’ to stall the proceedings of the House if the clemency issue comes for a debate.
Jitendra Singh, National Executive Member as well as the chief spokesman sharing added that Speaker of the House turning down the resolution of Ashok Khajuria, already accepted by Central Government in Feb 1994, without any reason is self explanatory of the fact that the State Government is hell bent to appease the separatist forces in the state while accepting Afzal Guru’s clemency debate brought in by a non-entity MLA.
He said that it shows the bankruptcy of the State Government that ignores the national sentiment of the people of Jammu & Kashmir by nailing their aspirations and advocating the militants’ causes by asking clemency for a terrorist.
The bulk of the Jammu-based Congress leadership is in a fix. It is feeling perturbed and alarmed owing to the decision of the Speaker to admit for discussion the Private Member’s Bill seeking clemency for Afzal Guru, whose mercy petition is under the consideration of the Union President, but it doesn’t have the requisite will and the courage to oppose the controversial decision of the Speaker, who belongs to the ruling National Conference. In fact, the Jammu-based Congress leadership is in a state of paralysis. It wants the party high command to diagnose what has caused paralysis and allow it to play somewhat healthy and effective role in the state politics, which right now is dominated by the National Conference, notwithstanding the fact that the Kashmir-based and pro-autonomy outfit has been ruling the state with the help of the Congress.
Though for the past some time Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has been speaking in favour of Afzal Guru convicted in parliament attack case and panelised with “hanged till death” , the real picture of Chief Minister will come out in the upcoming assembly session scheduled to commence on September 26, 2011 when discussion will begin on a resolution moved by an independent Member Assembly Er. Sheikh Abdul Rasheed , seeking clemency for Guru . Afzal Guru, a native of Kashmir valley was held responsible of conspiring and executing an attack on Indian Parliament on December13, 2001. After a speedy trial of about four years, Guru was convicted in the case and was penalised with death. At present, the case is pending with president of India for final approval as the convict has pleaded for mercy .
NC seems to have taken calculated risk hoping that the acceptance of and discussion on the private member’s bill seeking mercy for Afzal Guru might help it retrieve the ground it has over the period lost to the PDP, which has carved out for itself a constituency in the Valley through rabble-rousing and extreme stances. The real trouble is for the Congress. It basically represents in the assembly a nationalist constituency, which is essentially confined to Jammu province and the cold-desert Ladakh, although it has at regular intervals sided with the NC and allowed it conduct itself in the manner it liked.
The acceptance of the bill on Guru doesn’t adversely impact the NC in the Kashmir Valley. The reasons are obvious and one of the reasons is that the NC is the replica of the pre-1947 Muslim League that fought for and got Muslim Pakistan.
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