Omar Abdullah’s rehabilitation policy anti-national, says BJP

BJP has termed anti-national the Omar Abdullah government’s move to make a safe passage for militants stranded in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“We cannot tolerate this anti-national decision. The government is rewarding those people who took up arms to disintegrate the nation. We will not be mute spectators. We have decided to launch an agitation against this move. To start with we will observe chakka jam for three hours on November 27,” BJP state president SS Manhas said.

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cabinet had on Monday approved a rehabilitation policy for youths who had crossed over to PoK for arms training. According to this policy, these youths can return and start a normal life without being harassed or arrested by security forces.

“It is an irony that 1.75 lakh west Pakistan refugees have not been given citizenship in J&K even after 63 years of independence. And you are appeasing traitors. With such a policy, you are sending a message that those who take up arms will be rewarded,” said Manhas, whose party won 11 assembly seats in 2008 assembly elections riding high on Amarnath land row.

Congress leaders too have serious reservations on the issue though none of the party members raised objections in Monday’s cabinet meeting that decided on the rehabilitation policy.

Soon after the cabinet meeting, senior Congress leaders went into a huddle to discuss the implications of the rehabilitation policy, which aims at the return and facilitation of 3,000 Kashmiri youths who returned from Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

“We had tried to get this policy redrafted and defer a decision on it and had succeeded when we were able to prevail upon chief minister Omar Abdullah to postpone it till the cabinet meeting in Jammu,” a Congress minister said.

Three Congress ministers stayed away from Monday’s cabinet meeting, party sources said. The Congress ministers have made their reservations known to the party leadership in New Delhi. They could not oppose the policy here because they have received no directions to that effect, sources said.

Congress state unit chief Saifuddin Soz has been critical of the ways of the chief minister and has criticised several decisions of the National Conference.

Sources said Soz would take up the issue with the party high command, and point out that the rehabilitation policy would damage the party in Jammu region, where there is a strong anti-terrorism sentiment.

A senior minister said that the process will not be easy, and those seeking to return will have to undergo a series of screenings before they are granted permission. The home ministry and intelligence agencies will be involved in the screening the militants.
Agencies