The Hindu : National Conference pulls out of NDANational Conference pulls out of NDA

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 13, 2003

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National Conference pulls out of NDA

By Luv Puri

Omar Abdullah

Jammu July 12. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference headed by Omar Abdullah today formally severed its five-year-old relationship with the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre.

The NC has six members in Parliament — five in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha.

Announcing the decision at the party's Nawai Subah headquarters to presspersons today, Mr. Omar Abdullah (Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar), said: "The decision to withdraw from the NDA was taken by the central working committee at its meeting on July 10. It should have been taken long ago when the Gujarat riots occurred and many people were killed without the authorities taking any concrete action. Now, we have unanimously decided to pull out from the NDA after a marathon deliberation."

The working committee meeting was attended by the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and party patron, Dr. Farooq Abdullah. Regretting the "late" decision, Mr. Omar Abdullah said the relationship with the Centre had not done the party or the State any good. It felt let down by the BJP-led Central Government.

"Many promises were made but only to be broken. For instance, in my Cabinet meetings we were constantly told that (the) Prevention of Terrorism Act would not be used against the minorities but the reality is completely different. The law was discriminately implemented by the authorities. I can now say that I regret to have voted in favour of POTA," he said.

The NC chief said that he was pained by the Best Bakery judgment where the culprits went scot-free. "We cannot be a party to NDA when the minorities feel unsafe," he said but took credit for not participating in the voting during the discussion on the Gujarat riots held under Rule 187 in Parliament.

The NC had "weakened" at the State-level after allying with the Centre.

"We cannot strengthen the NC and remain part of the BJP-led Government at the same time".

The party had also been alienated from the people. Accusing the Centre of seeking third party intervention for a resolution of the Kashmir issue, he said the Government must make up its mind on the issue.

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