PDP: Sinha wanted to implement Hindutva agenda
KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, July 4: PDP has reiterated its resolve to continue channeling the genuine aspirations of the people along civil and democratic lines irrespective of the hurt it caused to persons like the former governor Lt Gen S K Sinha.
Responding to Gen Sinha's "diatribe" against the party and its patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a PDP spokesman said, "such outpourings can only come out of a diseased mind and these could not deter us from our duty towards the people".
Gen Sinha, in a latest interview had launched a frontal attack on the state's main political parties, especially PDP and its patron Mufti, accusing him of being "hand-in-glove" with separatists and fundamentalists. He had also denounced PDP as "anti-national".
PDP spokesman said, Gen Sinha was upset with Mufti as the latter had proved a stumbling block in his scheme to communalize the situation in the state and implement his Hindutva agenda. "The former governor's attempts to run the shrine board as an independent republic within the state were effectively thwarted by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for three years and Gen Sinha's anger is understandable", he added.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the spokesman pointed out had questioned the attempts at commercializing the holy pilgrimage for the benefit of Board officials hazarding in the process the new atmosphere of reconciliation that had been ushered into the state. Unfortunately, the chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad facilitated the agenda of the former governor, with consequences that now threaten the entire political and social fabric of the state. "No wonder Gen Sinha is now singing paeans of Azad and National Conference and singling out PDP for his abusive remarks" the spokesman added.
The spokesman said, Sinha had a number of reasons to be annoyed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The former chief minister had advised a realistic timeframe for the Yatra that would neither risk the life and comfort of pilgrims nor fiddle with its basic character—that of a journey of faith. But in their lust for money the former governor and his aides ignored all sane advice including even the one from the holy men. "In the process Gen Sinha ensured that local stake-holders were virtually marginalized", spokesman said and pointed out that even the voluntary kitchens (langars) were charged fees to fill the bottomless coffers of the Board. "Where has all the money gone?" he asked.
The other grouse of Gen Sinha has been, PDP raising the political problems facing the state. "It sounded strange to ears like those of Gen Sinha to hear of troop reduction, rehabilitation of families of slain militants, cross border movement, relations with Pakistan, human rights concerns etc from the then chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He was obviously missing the standard incumbents of that post who were programmed to call for destruction of Pakistan and threatened to make Hurriyat leaders rot in jails or keeping no space in jails for militants and killing them instead" the spokesman said.
The change in the idiom of the state government and its leadership struck a blow to Gen Sinha's ideological camp which had for six decades tried to give Kashmiris a bad name and successfully tamed their chief ministers. Mufti Saheb proved a hard nut for them, he said. But, unfortunately Azad trashed all these genuine issues as khokhley naarey (hollow slogans), a mistake that is costing the state dearly but obviously pleased the former Governor who by his own admission complained against PDP leadership to the center. But, the spokesman said, PDP considers itself accountable only to its people which it has now established by resigning from government in deference to the popular sentiment, added the spokesman.
The spokesman said, Gen Sinha was also upset over the decision to allot 7000 Kanals of land to Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University at Rajouri, setting up of an Islamic university in Kashmir and allotting land for construction of the Mughal Road. Even though these institutions run purely on community donations, could in due course provide a national model for anchoring modern and technological education in religious context, Sinha saw these institutions as a threat to his chauvinistic brand of nationalism. "He would obviously never forgive the founding chancellor of these institutions and instead feel comfortable with those who have consciously tried to kill them ever since the changeover", the spokesman said.

4 SHOs appointed
KT NEWS SERVICE
JAMMU, July 4: Keeping in view the alarming situation arisen out of the recent violent incidents in Jammu, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jammu Alok Kumar have temporarily appointed four Station House Officers (SHOs) in different Police Stations.
The posts of three SHOs were lying vacant after their transfer to different districts while one SHO was on leave.
Official sources said that Inspector Anu Sharma who has been recently shifted from Udhampur-Reasi Range to Jammu-Kathua range has been appointed SHO Police Station Gandhi Nagar on make shift arrangements. The post has fallen vacant after the shifting of former SHO Police Station Gandhi Nagar Inspector Rafiq Manhas to Rajouri-Poonch zone.
Inspector Rajesh Sharma has been temporarily appointed as SHO Police Station Nagrota. The post of SHO was lying vacant at Nagrota for last couple of months. Inspector Bihari Lal Sharma has also been temporarily posted as SHO Police Station Domana as SHO Domana Inspector Gian Chand Sharma is on medical leave.
Inspector Ashok Kumar, whose zone has been changed recently, has been on make shift arrangements posted as SHO Police Station RS Pura, sources maintained.