PDP-BJP government failed to address political, developmental aspirations: Omar Abdullah

Jammu: The PDP-BJP coalition government has failed to address political and developmental aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference (NC) working president Omar Abdullah said on Sunday.

"Tall, stentorian promises of 'ache din' have amounted to 'Ache Din' for a chosen few in terms of their personal welfare while common people have been left to fend for themselves by a brazenly insensitive and callous dispensation," Abdullah said, addressing a NC workers' convention in Doda district.

He said lack of direction and political will have compounded the perception of political uncertainty in the state whereas the government should have tried to provide a hope of inclusive development, reconciliation and peace.

The former chief minister said the PDP-BJP government rather than politically engaging with the separatist leadership with an aim to address the internal dimensions of the Kashmir issue, had chosen to tread a path of isolation, arrogance and confrontation contradicting the promises made in the 'Agenda of the Alliance'.

"Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) Sahab's government ordered an unprecedented crackdown on normal life and undertook hundreds of preventive arrests for organising the Prime Minister's rally in Srinagar, where sadly the Prime Minister snubbed the Chief Minister and categorically asked him to mind his own business as his suggestions about the Kashmir issue were not required, rendering PDP and Mufti Sahab absolutely irrelevant viz-a-viz the larger political process," Abdullah alleged.

Referring to the political and diplomatic stalemate between India and Pakistan in sorting out various issues and starting a comprehensive dialogue process, he said the gap between New Delhi and Islamabad has widened to an extent where the two countries have to choose a neutral country like Sri Lanka to play cricket.

"If we cannot have the bare minimum amount of trust and faith to participate in sporting events in each other's country, how can we address the larger and graver political issues of contention between the two countries? These political issues need to be resolved and cannot be expected to remain in the realm of a status-quo for perpetuity," he said.