Author: D K Singh
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: August 9, 2008
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/346572.html
While the Congress has sought to blame the
Sangh Parivar and the BJP for the Amarnath agitation, a delegation of party
leaders from Jammu led by Udhampur MP Choudhury Lal Singh, who met AICC general
secretary in charge of the state Prithviraj Chavan on Friday, stated that
they believed it to be a people's movement. They are learnt to have told Chavan
that the agitation was an expression of the "pent-up anger" of the
people against discrimination meted out to them in the past.
A section of the ruling party is, however,
critical of the way party leaders are being allowed to take the "Sangh
Parivar line". They pointed out that most Congress MPs and MLAs from
Jammu were supporting the agitation and there was no attempt by the central
leadership to rein them in.
Fingers are also being pointed at former chief
minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for his lack of foresight in diverting land to the
Amarnath Shrine Board. "How could he not foresee how hardliners in the
Valley would project the issue? Now people are blaming us for playing the
Hindu card in Jammu. Worse, we appear to have lost all we had gained here
in terms of a move towards peace," said a Congress Working Committee
member.
Even at a meeting of party spokespersons from
across the country this week, Azad had to face uncomfortable questions. One
participant, for instance, asked him why he did not resign immediately after
the PDP withdrew support. According to sources, Azad sought to pass some of
the 'blame', saying the PDP was equally involved in the Cabinet decision to
divert land to the Amarnath Shrine, before it made a complete turnaround for
political reasons.
A section of the Congress is, however, not
convinced. "It is inexplicable how we were sleeping until about a week
back thinking that the agitation in Jammu would die a natural death. The Congress
high command was not apprised of the seriousness of the situation by state
leaders," said a party general secretary.
Another section of the party, however, supported
Azad. "After things come back to normal, people will call Azad the biggest
secular leader," said a minister.
