After PDP, NC rejects CM's all-party meet on land transfer to SASB

Srinagar, Jun 26 (UNI) Urging Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra to return the land transferred to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), the National Conference today rejected the All Party Meeting (APM) on the issue suggested by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad yesterday.

Under the prevailing situation in the state when the land transfer issue has evoked large scale protests in favour and against, Mr Vohra, being the chairman of the SASB should return the land immediately, the NC president Omar Abdullah said after meeting the Governor at Raj Bhavan.

He said during their meeting with Mr Vohra, who took oath only yesterday, they urged him to revoke the land transfer deal.

We request him that under the prevailing situation he should return the land so that peace is restored before it is too late, he said.

He said the SASB was constituted in year 2000 in good faith so that the money going in the pockets of only few could be stopped.

''We never gave land to SASB as no such need was felt enturies, ''Mr Omar said, adding ''it was not know'' why the land was now transfered.

He said Muslims were always helping the pilgrims. Muslims even risked their lives to save the pilgrims when there was heavy snowfall.

They opened their homes for yatris without charging anything from them.

Rejecting the all party meeting on the issue, he said the the main opposition party in the state, would not participate in any such meeting.

''We will not be a part of the meeting called by Governor or Chief Minster,'' he said, adding that ''the CM wanted to prolong the issue without trying to find an immediate solution.'' The NC is the second party to reject the meeting after Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an alliance in the coalition government said they will not participate.

He said why the issue was not debated on the floor of the House since 2005.

Mr Omar said PDP should openly apologise before the people on the issue for comparing the transfer of land to SASB with the Mughal road.

He said the issue has now become regional and communal because its wrong handling.

The people in the Kashmir valley had apprehensions that government wanted to give land to outsiders which should be cleared for peace and stability of the state, he said.

UNI BAS QAB AKJ RK1706