SRINAGAR - The state assembly in Indian-held Kashmir on Thursday passed a crucial resolution which is believed to be an anti-India resolution which calls for resumption of peace talks with Pakistan. The resolution was unanimously adopted in the state legislative council.
Occupied Chief Minister Omar Abdullah seemed to be on a collision course with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the state assembly passed the resolution seeking resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue.
Abdullah slammed Narendra Modi government for cancelling the bilateral talks. He said, “Given the breakdown in communication between India and Pakistan, I don’t know how the Modi government plans to resolve this issue but they have an obligation to resolve it because they promised the people of this country ‘acche din (good days)’.”
The resolution says talks with Pakistan are needed to ensure peace and stability in Kashmir. The state assembly resolution goes against the stand taken by the Centre which maintains that talks with Pakistan are not possible.
Amrit Malhotra, chairman of the legislative assembly or the upper house of the bicameral legislature, moved the resolution. The assembly session had been adjourned on Wednesday after a pandemonium broke out over the resolution proposing to urge Indian government to resume dialogue with Pakistan.
Now in a step to lead a confrontation with the Modi government, the state assembly passed the resolution.
The unanimous resolution was passed via a voice vote also says the J&K government should urge the Indian government to take steps to effectively resolve LoC firing, besides taking steps to ensure rehabilitation of victims of LoC firing.
The move of Omar Abdullah’s government came as a surprise as the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir clearly states that foreign affairs is not under the purview of the state government.
Earlier, the resolution had been the cause of massive ruckus inside the state assembly.
Devender Rana of the ruling National Conference (NC), who intended to table the resolution, was allowed by the chairman to speak on the resolution.
But members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party stood on their seats, asserting that sufficient time had not been given to them to study the resolution.
The move was also opposed by NC leader Shahnaz Ganai, who said Rana had been allowed to table the resolution while her calling attention motion on connected issues had been ignored.
In the resulting ruckus, Rana left the house. He told reporters that he had left the house, but was not staging a walkout.
“I am really feeling bad over people doing politics over such a sensitive and humanitarian issue. People are dying and there are people who are trying to do politics over the issue,” Rana said.
The Modi government had cancelled foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan after Islamabad’s envoy in New Delhi Abdul Basit held talks with pro-freedom Kashmiri leaders despite India’s strong objections.
NO MORE WHITE FLAG ON
BORDERS: INDIA
Stiffening his stance over ceasefire violations along the LoC, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday said the BSF personnel have been directed not to show white flag anymore but give a befitting reply on firing from the other side.
Speaking in Lucknow, the minister said that no wonder India wants good relations with its neighbouring country, but Pakistan will have to reciprocate in the same way.