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'The Congress-NC tie-up is a sell-out'

December 31, 2008 17:01 IST

Jammu and Kashmir National Panther's Party chief Bhim Singh, who is undergoing treatment in Jammu hospital, has called the pact between National Conference and the Congress to form new government in the state as a complete sell-out.
 
"The National Conference and Congress coalition for the formation of the next government is a total disaster in the interest of the three regions of the state, which have been heavily suffering during the past rule of the two parties when they were in power," Bhim Singh told rediff.com from his hospital bed in Jammu.

"It was National Conference which sowed the seeds of communal and regional conflicts in 1946 by raising the anti-Dogra slogan--Quit Kashmir--and thrashed Mahajrah Hari Singh after he chose to join the state with the Indian Union," Singh claimed.

Singh blamed the National Conference for bringing about a bill in the assembly that allowed 5 lakh Pakistanis to return back to India and claim citizenship in the state.

"It was National Conference which enacted most dangerous law in 1981 called Resettlement Act (Bill No. 9) to enable nearly 5 lakh Pakistani nationals who had migrated to come back to Jammu including their descendents and reclaim their property which they had left voluntarily in 1947. This law has been stayed by the Supreme Court on the writ petition of the Panthers Party. The National Conference is still opposing the petition.  Farooq Abdullah had declared to implement this law, which if implemented shall endanger the security of the entire country. The two parties have worked against the interest of development in the state," Singh argued.

Mehbooba Mufti, daughter of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and president of the People's Democratic Party, found it funny that Bhim Singh have chosen to use the word sell out to describe the tie up between NC and Congress. " How can I comment on something that I have not known. Let me go through what Bhim Singh has said and then I would be able to say something," Mehbooba Mufti told rediff.com.

Commenting on Omar Adbullah, Mufti said, "He is a nice human being and i have seen his stint as minister of state for external affairs. But his real test begins now.You would have to give him sometime before one can arrive at a conclusion as to what he has been doing".

Onkar Singh in New Delhi