In unholy alliance, AoA is holy text: Mehbooba's rejoinder to Oppn jibes

BIVEK MATHUR

JAMMU: Obviously replying the opposition's criticism on "PDP forging unholy alliance with BJP" in 2014 in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today stated that the Agenda of Alliance (AoA) is the holy document in the "unholy alliance."
"I have been witnessing for the past some days in the assembly that opposition, particularly Congress party is terming our alliance as unholy. I want to tell them that the AoA is a holy document in the 'unholy alliance' agreed between PDP and BJP," CM said.
Replying to the discussion on Motion of Thanks on the Governor's Address in the Legislative Assembly today, the Chief Minister said, "No doubt, PDP and BJP are ideologically different. But the Agenda of Alliance (AoA) already contains what has been agreed upon by all the political parties in the State in terms of Round Table Conferences and the recommendations of various Working Groups and to which every party is a signatory."
"Then, I want to know what are they criticizing us for?" CM said. "We don't have to invent a new wheel", she said while appealing to build a consensus around the AoA to address the issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir. This, she said, would be the biggest tribute to the unfortunates who have been continuous victims of acrimony in the State.
Elaborating, Mehbooba Mufti said, be it the Dr Rangarajan Committee or other working groups, the implementation of all their recommendations is contained in the Agenda of Alliance. She said, be it the opening up of more routes or facilitating travel across LoC, return back of power projects or lands from the occupation of security forces, revocation of AFSPA or initiating dialogue with all stakeholders in the State, the implementation of the same has been contained well in the Agenda of Alliance reached between PDP and BJP.
She said the State's Legislative Assembly has a greater role in the resolution of issues the State is faced with because, she said, ideas can only be challenged with counter ideas and arguments.
Mehbooba Mufti said the constitutional turf of the country is so wide that it can easily accommodate the aspirations and sentiments of people of the State. This, she said, would not only get the state out of its present phase of uncertainties but also strengthen the relations between the state and rest of the country.
She, however, asked the political parties to allay the fears of each other on the issues on which they have stated positions so that the whole polity of the state moves in unison to address the burning issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister said she has consistently believed to make Jammu and Kashmir a bridge of faith between India and Pakistan as history and geography cannot be divorced from the present status of these two neighboring countries.
She said whenever she met the Prime Minister, she impressed upon him the need for continuous peaceful engagement and friendship between the two countries as the people of the State have a direct bearing of the relations between the two countries. "We have to learn to live together", she said while expressing the hope that the present phase of relations between the two countries would finally give way to an era of cooperation and amity.
On the issue of rehabilitation of pandits, refugees and other victims of history, the Chief Minister said, "We have to settle these smaller issues to unbundle the bigger knot in the State." She said the communities and regions have to be brought closer, remove the fears about each other and then only can the State move ahead looking for solutions to its problems.
On issuing Aadhar Cards to WPRs, she said, "It was unfortunate that opposition created mountain hills out of moles."
"Nobody was issuing domicile certificates to the refugees but opposition spread a wrong wave across the state. Rather, they would have appreciated government in giving them Aadhar Cards because since decades they were craving for identity," she said.
The Chief Minister also complimented people of Jammu region for warmly accommodating the turmoil affected students of valley in Jammu and schools within the region.
"With this, I also appreciate our BJP leaders that whenever some elements, inimical to the peace, indulged in provocations to create tension in Jammu region, they, themselves camped in the affected areas to defuse the tension," the CM said, adding, "This is the real spirit of humanity."
Legislators who took part in the discussion on Motion of Thanks on Governor's address included Muhammad Yusuf Bhat, Shah Muhammad Tantray, Ravinder Raina, Chowdhary Qamar Hussain, Raja Manzoor, Dr Krishan Lal, Abdul Rahim Rather, Daleep Singh Parihar, Jeevan Lal, Rajesh Gupta, Pawan Kumar Gupta and others.