Rahul backs Omar, NC rules out his quitting
All-party team to visit Kashmir on Monday
PTI
NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, SEPT 16
National Conference today ruled out resignation by beleaguered Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as he got backing from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who said he was doing a “tough job” and needed time and support.”
On a day of hectic consultations, the situation in the State came up for discussion at the Congress core group meeting here ahead of which NC chief Farooq Abdullah met Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The senior Abdullah’s meetings with Gandhi and Singh came against the backdrop of reports that the People’s Democratic Party was making efforts to revive its ties with Congress with which it had run a government in the State for five-and-a-half years till August 2008.
“Omar Abdullah has no intention of stepping down nor is there any such move being made,” the NC chief told reporters.
He accused the media of speculating such things, saying it plays “tricks” so that “one fellow should go down and the second fellow should come up”.
His statement came hours after Rahul Gandhi, who shares good equation with Omar, came out in support of the chief minister.
“The government has supported Omar Abdullah. National Conference is the party in power. He is a youngster. Kashmir is a difficult place. Omar is doing a tough job and he should be given time and support,” Gandhi told a press conference in Kolkata when asked whether Omar had failed.
“I think we have to give him support. Kashmir is a sensitive job. We have to give him time and support,” Gandhi said when a reporter said questions have been raised over “governance-deficit” in the State.
The NC welcomed Rahul’s statement, saying the Congress general secretary has “great acumen to comprehend each and every situation. He has very clearly pointed out that the Chief Minister is handling a difficult situation and that he has the entire support and time to handle” the affairs.
The core group meeting, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, took stock of the latest situation in the state and the upcoming visit by an all-party delegation to the state on Monday.
It deliberated on the Congress representatives to be part of the delegation.
Delegation visit: The all-party delegation will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Monday to assess the ground situation in the State which has been witnessing unrest for the last three months.
Sources said the delegation will be in the State for three days during which it will meet leaders of political parties and various other sections of the society.
The members of the delegation, expected to be headed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, will gather various shades of opinion on the current situation in the state and ways to deal with it.
The decision to send the delegation was taken at the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here yesterday on the situation in the State.
“The leaders agreed that the delegation should meet all sections of the people and gather all shades of opinion,” a statement issued after the all-party meeting said.
“The feedback received from the all-party delegation would form an important input into the government’s evolving response on various issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement said.
The all-party meeting underlined that the Constitution of India provides “ample scope to accommodate any legitimate political demand through dialogue, civil discourse and
peaceful negotiations.”
