Sonia dials Mehbooba as Omar sulks

New Delhi: On the eve of an all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir called by the Centre before it takes any key decision regarding the state, the two coalition partners there, the Congress and National Conference, today sent out mixed signals.




A day after the Centre said there was "trust deficit and governance deficit" in J&K and asked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to "deliver", Congress president Sonia Gandhi reached out to former ally PDP, a bitter rival of the National Conference.
From Srinagar, the NC too sent a signal to Delhi, saying the party would not repeat the mistake of 2000 when it decided to continue its alliance with the NDA despite the rejection of its autonomy proposal by the then BJP-led government at the Centre.

PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed also landed in New Delhi on the eve of the all-party meeting though his daughter and party president Mehbooba Mufti maintained that he was in town for a health check-up.
For the first time since the Omar government took charge in the Valley, Sonia Gandhi called up Mufti Sayeed and Mehbooba on Eid day.



Mehbooba refused to discuss the phone call, saying it was a "personal call". She told The Indian Express that her party did not endorse the NC demand for amendments in the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or its partial withdrawal from J&K.

"It is unfortunate that people either take the extreme position -- that nothing can be done in Kashmir because of the demand for azaadi and, therefore, the military situation -- or they just make it simplistic. When the situation in Kashmir started developing, Omar said it was political and blamed the
PDP for it. Today, he is again simplifying it. The issue of revocation of AFSPA is important, but the NC is simplifying the issue by demanding cosmetic changes like withdrawal of the AFSPA. He is looking for a face-saver. They think withdrawing it from some areas will give this government a few more days. We need to have a holistic, inclusive approach," Mehbooba said on phone from Srinagar.





Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had called her to request PDP participation in the all-party meeting. Calling the meeting "very important", Mehbooba said that though all flights to Delhi had been suspended, her party was trying to send somebody to attend it.

Meanwhile, National Conference leader and Rajya Sabha MP G N Ratanpuri sought to blame the Centre for the unrest in Kashmir. "When Rahul Gandhi came to Kashmir, he said he was there because Omar was his friend. The perception is that Rahul's influence was phenomenal in his selection as Chief Minister. NC workers, however, perceive that he (Omar) has not been supported sincerely. People think the Government of India has taken us for granted. Some say Omar has Delhi's support, while his detractors say he is Delhi's man. For any Chief Minister, it is a minus point to be perceived as Delhi's man," Ratanpuri said.



In Srinagar, the NC core group, comprising six leaders besides Omar and party president Farooq Abdullah, took stock of all that had transpired between the state government and Delhi.

"The party will not remain silent this time. We will not repeat the mistake of 2000," NC leader Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan told The Indian Express. "We think the Government of India has not yet taken a final call on the the AFSPA issue. That is why they have called an all-party meet. Had it been a closed chapter, then the meeting tomorrow would not have been called. Our party has taken a position after serious deliberations and we are firm on our demand."





Contacted by The Indian Express, Omar Abdullah said the party's delegation to the all-party meet - he would not be attending it - would not only put forth its demands on the AFSPA issue but also the "overall political direction that is needed". Asked whether the demand for restoration of autonomy would be raised, he said, "Obviously. Autonomy will be there because that is what we talk about."

What if the Centre were not to agree to the NC demand? "We will not answer if, but, how or what about our future course of action. Doctor Sahib (his father Farooq) and our other leaders will return, we will discuss the outcome of the all-party meeting and take a stand accordingly."



In New Delhi, the Central government said it "knows what it has to do" and was looking for that one "elusive starting point" where it could begin the dialogue process in Kashmir. Sources indicated that the government wanted to develop a political consensus before taking a final call on the proposals on the table.

The Centre's proposals range from amendments to the AFSPA to a new policy facilitating the return of ex-militants from PoK to the setting up of a Minorities Commission in the state to deal with issues relating to Sikhs and Hindus.

The CCS, sources said, may hold another meeting tomorrow in case some kind of a broad political consensus is reached at the all-party meeting. In case a decision is taken to send an all-party delegation to the state, the CCS meeting could be scheduled for a later date.

Source: The Indian Express

Rahul's tainted 'sipahi'

Kolkata: Over the next three days, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi will tour the entire state in a bid to strengthen the party in West Bengal. Among other things, he may have to tackle the issue of including a tainted leader in the party fold.



Even as Rahul announced during his recent Kolkata rally that the Congress in the state will have a "clean image", there's resentment brewing in the party regarding the inclusion of Mohammad Rafiq, once TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's pointsman in Keshpur, who has several criminal cases registered against him. In fact, a section of Congress leaders have already staged a dharna in protest outside West Bengal PCC headquarters, Bidhan Bhavan.

Rafiq was inducted into the party when Rahul visited the WBPCC headquarters after having addressed the rally. Top leaders had announced that his joining the party was "like the return of a wayward son to his mother's lap". Rafiq had reciprocated: "Mamata treated me like a brother as I was spearheading a movement against the CPM. But after her purpose was served, she disowned me."



Keshpur was rocked by violence in the early 1990s with several "political killings" reported from both the Trinamool and CPM camps. Rafiq was a TMC leader at that time, with 15 criminal cases against him registered at the Keshpur police station. These included rioting, arson, murder and extortion. A senior police official said, "The cases included four-five murder cases. Warrants are pending in three cases of arson and rioting."

According to police sources, Rafiq owns property in Midnapore town and also runs a transport syndicate.



Manoj Verma, SP, West Midnapore, said, "No new cases have been registered against Rafiq. But he has several old cases lodged against him. In some he has been acquitted."

Pradip Bhattacharya, a former state president of the Congress, said, "We all know Rafiq's criminal background. It is undesirable for the party to accept him. We were not consulted before he joined the party. We will take up the issue with senior leadership in Delhi and produce evidence against him." Kanak Debnath, another senior leader, said, "It's a shame that such a person has joined the party."

Partho Chatterjee of the TMC, when contacted about Rafiq being inducted into the Congress, said, "We expelled him during our last core committee meeting as he appeared to be a disloyal. He had committed several crimes too."



Rafiq is nonchalant about the criminal charges slapped against him. "The TMC used me and then branded me a CPM agent to expel me from the party. Didi will realise her fault. The criminal cases lodged against me are framed charges. After the Lok Sabha polls, the CPM lodged four cases against me. I will speak to Rahul Gandhi about these false charges."



Meanwhile, Congress insiders say Tapan Ghosh, a tainted CPM leader from Garbeta, has expressed willingness to join the party. Ghosh was the prime accused in Choto Angaria case in which he, along with Sukur Ali, allegedly burnt villagers to death in the house of one Bakhtar Mondal in West Midnapore district. The CBI in its chargesheet had included the names of 12 accused including Ghosh and Ali. However, in January, 2009, both were acquitted from the case as the CBI could not produce "sufficient" evidence against them.

Source: The Indian Expresss