Kashmir unrest: NCP takes on PM, looks forward to Prez intervention

Mumbai, Aug. 21 (ANI): The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was 'not serious' to tackle the ongoing unrest in Kashmir and said President Pranab Mukherjee's intervention and suggestion may bring some desirable result. "Now, when the State and the Union are unable to enforce itself and get the normalcy restored then the only democratic method by which the opposition and people of Kashmir will seek relief would be through the President," NCP leader Majeed Memon told ANI. "The President has no direct powers, but the President's intervention and suggestion to the Council of Ministers and Union may bring some desirable result," he added. Memon further said there has been fire throughout Kashmir and the life of people there has been completely stagnated since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. "First the Chief Minister was persuaded to act, but she failed. Then the Union Home Minister was asked to interfere and do something, but his trip also could not extinguish fire and thereafter we have asked the Prime Minister to somehow intervene," Memon said. "But the Prime Minister doesn't seem to be very serious about this matter and an all-party meeting was held toward the end of the Monsoon Session, but that also remained where it was," he added. Earlier on Saturday, a delegation of opposition parties from Jammu and Kashmir met President Pranab Mukherjee to seek political solution to the ongoing crisis in the state. The five-member delegation led by former chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah sought President Mukherjee's intervention to impress upon the Central Government to initiate a credible and meaningful process of political dialogue without any further delay involving all stakeholders to address the issue. The ruling BJP at the Centre, however, lambasted the delegation, reminding the National Conference and the Congress of not offering "azadi (freedom)" to Kashmiris when they jointly ruled the state during the 2010 agitation. "They talk of political solution bt nvr clarify what it is 2 d rants of Azadi. In power they nvr offered it when stones were pelted at them," BJP general secretary Ram Madhav tweeted. "Talk of political solution is only to score political points. They did nothing to help State bring normalcy. In stead helped spread unrest," he said in another tweet. Omar later hit back at the BJP leader and tweeted, "We have offered you solutions both while in power & out of it but you are deaf to what you don't like hearing!" (ANI)