Omar predicts mid-term polls; Govt fall imminent

Srinagar, Dec 20: National Conference (NC) chief Omar Abdullah haspredicted mid-term elections in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the coalitiongovernment will soon fall in view of serious differences between theCongress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He asked the people to be prepared for fresh Assembly elections inthe state as the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition government would notcomplete its full term in the office.

''I can swear that the Congress-PDP coalition government will notcomplete its full term. You have to be ready for fresh elections whichwill be held within next six months,'' Mr Abdullah told a publicgathering in south Kashmir.

His remarks came amid reports of verbal duel between the Congressand PDP ministers during the Cabinet meeting in Jammu on Monday whenthe members of the two alliance partners traded charges against eachother and exchanged heated words following which the Chief Minister hadthreatened to dissolve the state Assembly.

Taking a dig at former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, hesaid the PDP patron propagated Indian agenda at the United Nations andfooled people by asserting that he pleaded self-rule proposal.

Terming the PDP as a ''copy cat'', the NC chief said whateverPakistan President Pervez Mushharraf preaches, the Muftis and theirparty follow the suit. ''Gen Musharraf talks of demilitarisation andthe Muftis follow the suit. In fact, the PDP has no agenda of itsown,'' he added.

Mr Abdullah said his party had brought the Hizbul Mujahideen onthe negotiating table, but with the change of government, all the fivemilitant commanders who held parleys were killed.

''The five Hizb commanders were killed under a conspiracy hatched by the PDP,'' he alleged.

Mr Abdullah, a former Union Minister of State for ExternalAffairs, appealed to both India and Pakistan to take concrete steps forresolution of the contentious Kashmir issue and put an end to theongoing bloodshed and atrocities in the strife-torn state.

He claimed that large number of custodial killings had taken placeduring the past four years of coalition government then during the sixyears of the NC regime.

''Only 27 custodial killings took place when the NC was in powerfor six years while 33 such deaths have taken place till now in thecoalition government's rule,'' Mr Abdullah added.

UNI