NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Mr. P.V.Narasimha Rao declared here that the Center was determined to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir even if “somebody decides not to take part” in the poll process.
Without mentioning Dr. Farooq Abdullah by name, the Prime Minister expressed his unhappiness with the National Conference President when he said, “nobody is a Vishnu Bhagwan (God Vishnu) for us,”
This is the first time that the Prime Minister came down so heavily on the NC leader after the polls were postponed in the trouble torn state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister was addressing members of the Executive Committee of the Congress Parliamentary Party here last week, where Kashmir was one of the issues on agenda.
In another significant statement, Mr. Rao also said that the first list of 100 candidates of the party for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls would be announced ‘although elections are yet to be announced. Mr, Rao made this announcement when Major (Retd.) Sudhir Sawant, Secretary of the CPP suggested that the list of party candidate should be declared much before the elections, to enable them to gear up. Mr, Rao agreed with his suggestion and said he would soon release the first list of “acceptable candidates” for the Lok Sabha polls. When Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Haryana MP) fell that it might create some complications, he was informed that those MPs who had worked in their constituencies would have no difficulties.
The Prime Minister, while talking about Kashmir said that Pakistan had no claimed whatsoever on any part of the state as its Constitution made no mention of it. While India had signed a treaty with the then Maharaja of Kashmir and a special mention was made in the Constitution, there was nothing of the sort in connection with Pakistan.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 8, 1995
