News Analysis India

Tag: National conference

  • Good that Centre realised things won’t work in UT without mainstream J&K parties: NC ahead of meet with PM Modi

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with the political parties of Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference (NC) on Monday said it is good that the Centre has realised that “things will not work” in the Union Territory without mainstream regional players.

    Hectic political consultations are on in Jammu and Kashmir within mainstream regional parties including the NC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over an all-party meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Modi on June 24.

    “We have been saying that nothing has changed on the ground for the last two years. It is good that they have this realisation that things will not work here without the local mainstream. All their huge promises have turned hollow on the ground and nothing has been achieved,” NC provincial president, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani told reporters here.

    Wani said the change from “demonising” the mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir to inviting them for talks was “good”.

    “It is a good change. As much and how much you can demonise the mainstream of J-K, you cannot do without it because the mainstream in J-K has always proven.

    ALSO READ | PM Modi to meet 14 J&K leaders in Delhi on June 24; first since abrogation of Article 370

    “For that matter, the NC, being the premier political party of the erstwhile state, has that grassroots reach, without its involvement in such kind of dialogues and such kinds of conference, you cannot go ahead,” he said.

    The NC leader claimed that contrary to the credit “they have taken these two years, they have achieved nothing”.

    The Centre had on August 5, 2019 abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

    “It is always the people’s representatives who can deliver in this trouble-ridden state,” Wani asserted.

    Asked if the party felt there was any international pressure on the Centre over Kashmir, the NC leader said, “Whatever be the reason, what is happening is good”.

    “Don’t you think something is there? For whatever reason it has happened, it is good.

    Whether there was any pressure, or there is no pressure or the PM had this realisation and thought that the UT has to see the peaceful times ahead, it is a better realisation and we are hopeful that there is peace and not only internally, but externally as well,” he said.

  • Good that Centre realised things won’t work in UT without mainstream J&K parties: NC ahed of meet with PM Modi

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with the political parties of Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference (NC) on Monday said it is good that the Centre has realised that “things will not work” in the Union Territory without mainstream regional players.

    Hectic political consultations are on in Jammu and Kashmir within mainstream regional parties including the NC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over an all-party meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Modi on June 24.

    “We have been saying that nothing has changed on the ground for the last two years. It is good that they have this realisation that things will not work here without the local mainstream. All their huge promises have turned hollow on the ground and nothing has been achieved,” NC provincial president, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani told reporters here.

    Wani said the change from “demonising” the mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir to inviting them for talks was “good”.

    “It is a good change. As much and how much you can demonise the mainstream of J-K, you cannot do without it because the mainstream in J-K has always proven.

    ALSO READ | PM Modi to meet 14 J&K leaders in Delhi on June 24; first since abrogation of Article 370

    “For that matter, the NC, being the premier political party of the erstwhile state, has that grassroots reach, without its involvement in such kind of dialogues and such kinds of conference, you cannot go ahead,” he said.

    The NC leader claimed that contrary to the credit “they have taken these two years, they have achieved nothing”.

    The Centre had on August 5, 2019 abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

    “It is always the people’s representatives who can deliver in this trouble-ridden state,” Wani asserted.

    Asked if the party felt there was any international pressure on the Centre over Kashmir, the NC leader said, “Whatever be the reason, what is happening is good”.

    “Don’t you think something is there? For whatever reason it has happened, it is good.

    Whether there was any pressure, or there is no pressure or the PM had this realisation and thought that the UT has to see the peaceful times ahead, it is a better realisation and we are hopeful that there is peace and not only internally, but externally as well,” he said.

  • NC, PDP, Congress say will decide on attending meet with PM after intra-party deliberations

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR/JAMMU: The National Conference, PDP, Congress and the CPI(M) on Saturday said they will take a call on attending a meeting with the prime minister in Delhi after deliberations within their respective parties.

    Fourteen leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have been invited to the meeting that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24 to discuss the future course of action for the union territory.

    The meeting — the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and its bifurcation into union territories in August 2019 — is likely to be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders.

    The PDP will hold a meeting on Sunday to discuss the invitation of the Centre to political parties of Jammu and Kashmir for talks, party president Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday.

    Mehbooba told PTI, “There is no clear-cut agenda about the talks with New Delhi. However, I have asked my party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for a meeting to discuss the same.”

    The last chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, who had an alliance government with the BJP from 2016 to 2018, she said that the decision of whether to participate in the talks would be taken by the party.

    “There is no agenda for the meeting but I was conveyed that the meeting is being called to review the general situation and how to take the political process forward. There is no clear-cut agenda,” Mehbooba said.

    A National Conference (NC) leader told PTI, “The party president (Farooq Abdullah) received a phone call from Delhi today, inviting him for the meeting with the prime minister on June 24.”

    He said the party will sit and discuss the invitation to the meeting over the course of the next couple of days.

    “To participate or not in the meeting is a matter of discussion. The party leadership will sit soon and discuss the issue. But, at least, there is a realisation in Delhi now and this meeting is a good thing. Dialogue and democracy go hand to hand in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

    The NC leader also said after the meeting of the party, the meeting of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is likely to take place to discuss the issue.

    The PAGD is an alliance of some parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the NC and the PDP, that was formed in the aftermath of the Centre’s August 2019 decisions.

    Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said its chief G A Mir has also received an invitation for the meeting.

    “The party shall take a view on the issue of participation in consultation with senior leadership in a couple of days,” Sharma said.

    Earlier during the day, Mir said his party had yet not received any invitation from the Centre.

    He, however, added such a step, if taken, was welcome as dialogue with stakeholders was the only way forward.

    Another invitee, senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami, said he would discuss the issue of the participation in the meeting with his party before taking a final call on it.

    The CPI(M) leader, who is also the spokesman of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), said the meeting is scheduled at 3 pm on June 24.

    According to officials, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reached out to these leaders to invite them to the meeting.

    Among those invited are four former chief ministers — Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

    Four former deputy chief ministers of the erstwhile state — Congress leader Tara Chand, People’s Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, and BJP leaders Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta — too have been invited to the meet.

    In addition, CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, Sajjad Lone of the People’s Conference, J-K Congress head G A Mir, BJP’s Ravidner Raina, and Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh have been invited to the meeting.

    BJP Jammu and Kashmir unit president Raina said he is confident that all the leaders invited to the meeting will attend the “important” deliberation.

    The meeting convened by the prime minister is in accordance with the wishes of heads of various political parties who have been seeking time from him and demanding such a meeting for a long time, he added.

  • PM Modi likely to chair meeting with J-K political parties on June 24: Officials

    The first such meeting since the abrogation of J-K #39;s special status and its bifurcation into UT #39;s in August 2019 is likely to be attended by Amit Shah and other central leaders.

  • NC shows change of heart on boycott of Delimitation Commission meetings in J&K

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: With National Conference MPs staying away from the delimitation exercise and boycotting the Delimitation Commission meetings, the party is now having a “change of heart” and a section in the party feels that the NC MPs should participate in the delimitation exercise to redraw parliamentary and Assembly constituencies in J&K.

    The NC leaders have authorised party president and three-time former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah to take a call on participation in delimitation exercise and attending the Delimitation Commission meetings.

    A senior NC leader said during the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC), which was held in a virtual mode on Thursday, a section of the party leaders opined that the party MPs should not stay away from the delimitation exercise.

    The three NC MPs — Farooq Abdullah, Mohammad Akbar Lone and Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi – had not attended any of the meetings convened by Delimitation Commission to discuss the delimitation of parliamentary and Assembly constituencies in J&K.

    The NC MPs had written to Delimitation Commission chairperson Justice (Retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai saying they won’t attend the meetings of the commission as the delimitation exercise was being conducted under J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, the legality of which has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

    Like other parties, NC has also termed Article 370 revocation and bifurcation of J&K state into two Union Territories as “illegal and unconstitutional”.

    The NC leader said some party leaders during yesterday’s meeting felt that if the party MPs stay away from the Delimitation Commission meetings, then the field for manipulation would be left open for BJP.  

    “Some leaders also opined that staying away from proceedings of Delimitation exercise by party MPs will hurt the interests of Kashmir and we should participate in the meetings,” he said.

    The NC leader said after some party leaders talked in favour of participating in the delimitation exercise, the party has authorized president Farooq Abdullah to take a final call on whether to continue the boycott or join proceedings after consulting the senior party leaders.

    The three NC MPs and two BJP MPs from J&K are associate members of the Delimitation Commission.

    The centre had in March last year constituted the Delimitation Commission to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies of J&K. The one-year-term of the commission was extended in March this year.

    The five associate members (3 NC MPs and 2 BJP MPs) have got no say in the Delimitation Commission. The associate members cannot sign, have no veto power and neither their dissent nor disagreement can be recorded.

  • COVID-19 positive Farooq Abdullah getting better, says son Omar

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) president and Srinagar MP Farooq Abdullah, who is undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at SKIMS hospital here, is responding well to treatment and getting better, his son Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday.

    The 85-year-old NC president had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 30.

    After initially being in home isolation, he was shifted to the hospital on April 3 for better care.

    “My father has asked me to convey his deep gratitude to all our colleagues for these prayers & all the messages he has been receiving. He is responding well to the treatment and is getting better,” Omar Abdullah said on Twitter.

    Several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wished Farooq Abdullah a speedy recovery after the news of his testing positive for the disease came to light.

    Earlier, the NC held prayer meetings across Jammu and Kashmir for Farooq Abdullah’s speedy recovery and well-being.

    The prayer meeting was led by NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar and a huge participation of party functionaries, delegates, workers from the parent body, youth, women’s wing, legal and minority wings, a spokesperson said.

    Religious scholars prayed for Abdullah’s recuperation, recovery, longevity and well-being, a spokesperson said.

    Addressing the functionaries, Sagar said the NC and the people of Jammu and Kashmir need Abdullah to guide them in the struggle for the restoration of their “abridged rights” by walking on the path of truth and non-violence.

    “People want him back on his feet to struggle against attempts that are being made for creating an atmosphere of discrimination in society. We need him to champion the cause of the underprivileged and the deprived.”

    “We need him to provide foresight to the efforts of numerous party men and women to work for the restoration of democracy and protection of the secular and pluralistic visage of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

    Describing Abdullah as a “peacenik”, Sagar said the NC president’s calls for peace and harmony were never borne out of fear, but pragmatism — “a trait rarely perceptible in the genetic makeup of most of the politicians in southeast Asia”.

    “I earnestly pray with all my humility to the Almighty to put our beloved leader on the path of recovery. God willing, he will bounce back and lead us in our struggle to bequeath future generations a peaceful, prosperous and stable future.”

    “May the Almighty accept our prayers and put our leader on the path of fast recovery,” he said.

    Similar prayer meetings were held at all district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir, where party workers, constituency incharges, district presidents and other delegates prayed for the fast recovery of the Abdullah, the NC spokesperson said.

    The 85-year-old NC president tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

    He was kept in home-isolation initially, but doctors decided to shift him to a hospital on Saturday for better medical care.

  • COVID-19: Farooq Abdullah getting better, informs son Omar

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, who was hospitalised last week after testing positive for COVID-19, is responding well to treatment and is getting better, informed his son Omar Abdullah on Tuesday.

    “My father has asked me to convey his deep gratitude to all our colleagues for these prayers and all the messages he has been receiving. He is responding well to the treatment and is getting better,” Omar said in a tweet.

    He also shared images of party workers and supporters across Jammu and Kashmir praying for the leader’s speedy recovery.

    “NC holds special prayers for speedy recovery of Dr Farooq Abdullah across Jammu and Kashmir Sagar, Kamal lead prayers at Nawa e Subha, similar meetings held at Pir Panjal, Kargil, Jammu, Chenab units,” the NC leader had tweeted.

    Farooq was admitted to a hospital in Srinagar last Saturday after he tested positive for COVID-19 on March 30.

    “Based on the advice of doctors to enable them to better monitor my father, he has been admitted to hospital in Srinagar. Our family remains grateful to everyone for their messages of support and their prayers,” Omar had said.

    The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister got diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 30, weeks after he had received his first dose of vaccine against coronavirus at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science in Srinagar on March 2.

  • J-K L-G Sinha visits hospital to enquire about Farooq Abdullah’s health

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the SKIMS hospital here on Sunday to enquire about the health of National Conference (NC) president and MP Farooq Abdullah, who is undergoing treatment for COVID-19.

    Sinha, who met Abdullah’s son and NC vice president Omar Abdullah at the hospital, instructed the doctors at the SKIMS to provide best treatment to the MP from Srinagar.

    “In Srinagar, I met Omar Abdullah at SKIMS Hospital, Soura. Enquired about Farooq Sahab’s health and instructed the doctors to provide best treatment. I pray for his long and healthy life,” the LG’s office tweeted.

    The LG also offered to shift the senior Abdullah to another facility or hospital for better monitoring and care.

    “I have also offered to shift Farooq Sahab, who is admitted at SKIMS, to another facility or hospital for better monitoring and care,” the LG’s office said.

    Omar Abdullah expressed gratitude to Sinha for visiting the hospital and offering to shift his father, and said the NC president is getting the best possible care at the SKIMS.

    “Thank you for your visit to enquire after my father @manojsinha_ ji. We are grateful for the offer to shift my father, the doctors & other medical staff at SKIMS Srinagar are amongst the best anywhere & my father is getting the best possible care,” he wrote on Twitter.

    The 85-year-old NC president tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

    He was kept in home isolation initially, but doctors on Saturday decided to shift him to a hospital for better medical care.

    “Based on the advice of doctors to enable them to better monitor my father, he has been admitted to hospital in Srinagar. Our family remains grateful to everyone for their messages of support & their prayers,” Omar Abdullah tweeted on Saturday.

  • Ex-Jammu & Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah hospitalised days after testing COVID-19 positive

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Veteran politician and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, who tested positive for COVID-19 recently, was on Saturday admitted to a hospital as a precautionary measure. Taking to Twitter, his son Omar Abdullah said Farooq Abdullah has been admitted to hospital in Srinagar based on the advice of doctors “to enable them to better monitor” him.

    “Our family remains grateful to everyone for their messages of support and their prayers,” he added. The 85-year-old NC president tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. He was kept in home-isolation initially, but doctors on Saturday decided to shift him to a hospital for better medical care.

    Several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wished him a speedy recovery after news of his testing positive for the disease came to light. Farooq Abdullah received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on March 2.

  • National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah tests positive for COVID-19

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: National Conference president and Lok Sabha member from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah has tested positive for COVID-19, his son Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday.

    Omar urged everyone who came in contact with his father recently to get tested.

    “My father has tested positive for COVID-19 & is showing some symptoms,” Omar,  who is also vice president of the party, said in a tweet.

    “I will be self-isolating along with other family members until we get ourselves tested. I request anyone who has come in to contact with us over the last few days to take all the mandated precautions,” he added.