Former J-K Governor calls PDP communal, slams Cong

Calling People’s Democratic Party as 'anti-national and communal...

Calling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as “anti-national and communal”, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lieutenant General (retired) S K Sinha on Saturday blamed the Congress for going into an “overdrive” with its “appeasement policy” and said that appeasement must stop.

He also justified the agitation in Jammu as “spontaneous outburst of pent-up feelings against discrimination” and “non-communal”, but termed the Kashmir agitation “communal”.

In this context, the former Governor lauded the Army’s role, saying it was doing a “wonderful job” in very difficult conditions in the Valley.

Story continues below this ad

Sinha, who was delivering the first Manekshaw memorial lecture organised by Conclave of Defence Services Veterans on the topic “National Security: A Jammu and Kashmir perspective”, said: “The communal and anti-national elements, like the PDP, picked on diversion of land to the Shrine Board for launching a widespread communal agitation.”

“The Congress with a new Governor went into an overdrive with its appeasement policy by not only revoking the land diversion order, but virtually dismantling the Amarnath Shrine Board, taking away its functions and trying to hand it over to the Tourist Department,” he added.

Sinha, who was ex-officio chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board, said, “My six years of attempt to promote liberal and modern outlook and counter intolerant and fundamentalist approach has been undone by the PDP, under Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. The two ministers, who processed this case and recommended it to the Cabinet, were from PDP. They knew everything, yet they misled people in Kashmir.”

He said the Board had asked for 100-acre land at Baltal for putting up temporary pre-fabricated accommodation for pilgrims in 2005 but it took the Government three years to take a decision on this request. “Even on the day the Cabinet approved diversion of land in Baltal to the Shrine Board, five other transfers of land to different agencies had been approved.”

Story continues below this ad

Asserting that there was “no economic blockade of Kashmir”, Sinha said while the agitation in Kashmir had been communal, the movement in Jammu has been non-communal with many Muslims like All Jammu Muslim Conference and several Gujjars supporting it. “The present conflict in Jammu and Kashmir is not between the Hindus and Muslims; it’s between nationalists and anti-national forces.”

He also had a word of advice for the media, saying it must present facts correctly and not attempt to be over-zealous in displaying its secular credentials. “Justice must not only be done to all, but must also be seen to be done,” he said.