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NC softens stand on governor's rule a little

National Conference president Omar Abdullah left the door just a wee bit ajar on Thursday on the possibility of the Jammu & Kashmir assembly election being held under governor's rule.

At a candid press conference at the Indian Women's Press Corps in New Delhi, Abdullah said his party's government in Srinagar could consider the option if the separatist All-Parties Hurriyat Conference stated that it was willing to contest under governor's rule. "But if [other] political parties talk about it, it is improper," he said.

Abdullah was responding to a question on the possibility of governor's rule being imposed in Jammu & Kashmir before the assembly election, to be held in four phases in September-October.

The National Conference had so far stoutly denied even the possibility of the election being held under governor's rule. Indeed, Abdullah stuck largely to the party's well-articulated stand, that he would have no objection to the imposition of governor's rule before the election provided the Constitution was amended to make the step mandatory in every state going to the polls.

"It is regrettable," he said, "that the parties talking about governor's rule in J&K are not interested in imposing it in the states ruled by them [read: Gujarat]." As for the secessionists, there was no indication, he emphasized, that they would participate even if the polls were held under governor's rule.

The National Conference president admitted that participation by the Hurriyat leaders would have a [positive] impact on voter turnout in the election. But even if they did not contest, he said he would be disappointed if the state recorded less than 40-45 per cent polling.

Abdullah, who is also Union minister of state for external affairs, said the issue of redeployment of security forces for the election was under discussion since it could send wrong signals to Pakistan, which was liable to misinterpret the action as having come under Islamabad's pressure.

He asserted that the army was likely to remain at the border till "Pakistan addresses our problem of [cross-border] terrorism".

He said Ram Jethmalani's initiative of forming a Kashmir Committee had come two years too late. "We have not scuttled any political process," he clarified.

He said the security situation in Jammu & Kashmir was no better or worse than in 1995, "so there is no reason to postpone [the polls]".

He said his perception about foreigners visiting the state to witness the polls differed from that of the Centre. Their presence, he said, would help make the polls free and fair. But since the Election Commission had denied them observer status, "they will not get it."

He said the state government would try to provide security to the visitors, but stressed that foreign countries issuing travel advisories to their citizens not to visit India was contradictory.

Abdullah said it was his party that had requested the Election Commission to provide electronic voting machines in the state.

Responding to a question, he said it "would be a serious setback" if the Congress did decide not to participate in the election for security reasons. He pointed out that while the National Conference had lost 350 activists to violence, the BJP had lost 90 and "the Congress is in third place".

Abdullah termed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's call for trifurcation of the state dangerous. "That is [just] what Pakistan wants," he warned. He iterated that the National Conference was looking for autonomy for the state. "But how much, we don't know," he admitted. Arun Jaitley, the Centre's emissary, is to visit the state shortly to discuss the matter.

Asked to comment on the charge that he was not in touch with politics in his home state, Abdullah remarked, "The polls will show whether I am in touch."

Jammu and Kashmir Elections 2002: The complete coverage

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