Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said had the ruling BJP at the Centre adopted former prime minister A B Vajpayee’s approach, Jammu and Kashmir would not have been in the current situation.
Speaking during obituary references in J&K Legislative Assembly, Abdullah heaped praises on the former prime minister, saying Vajpayee “always tried to improve the situation in J&K”.
When Vajpayee went to Pakistan in 1999 on the maiden Delhi-Lahore bus, he had visited Minar-e-Pakistan which “was not easy to do”, the chief minister said.
“Then he stood at the border and said we can change friends but not the neighbours. Vajpayee said dialogue was the only way out. He repeatedly extended the hand of friendship despite facing setbacks,” Abdullah, the Leader of the House, added.
“I have known him (Vajpayee) and worked with him as a minister in his council. When we remember Vajpayee, we remember him with reference to J&K. He always tried to improve the situation in J&K, he tried to ease the tension,” Abdullah said.
“He worked to open the cross-LoC routes which were later closed again. He wanted to bring people across closer. He tried to bring civil society closer. Today attempts are made to keep us apart,” Abdullah added.
The chief minister said had Vajpayee’s approach been adopted, Jammu and Kashmir would not have been “in the situation it is in”.
“After he left, his approach was forgotten. The design he had given was forgotten. What can we do?” he said.
Referring to MLA Kulgam M Y Tarigami’s remarks about the autonomy resolution brought by the then NC government in the Assembly in 2000, Abdullah said while it is true that the resolution was sent back, but “Vajpayee realised later that the government had reacted in a hurry”.
“So, he appointed senior minister Arun Jaitley to hold talks with J&K government on it,” the chief minister said, adding it would be difficult to disagree with Vajpayee’s intentions on J&K.
The Leader of the House said the list for obituary references was huge which indicated “how long the gap was between our two sessions”.
He said the last such session was held in 2018.
“57 personalities — former president, former prime minister, former governor, ex-MLAs and ex-MLCs are in the list. This will perhaps be the last time we will be paying tributes to people from Ladakh as they are no more a part of us,” he added.
Abdullah also said there were 45 people in the list with whom he has worked or were known to him, and went on to mention a few.
Paying tributes to Pranab Mukherjee, Abdullah said there was a lot to learn from the former president’s life.
“Mukherjee did not have Godfathers and was not parachuted into politics. He worked hard,” he said, adding that he did justice with all the posts he held.
The Leader of the House also paid tributes to former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and others, including his former colleague and BJP leader Devendra Singh Rana who passed away last week.
Speaking of Rana, he said, “There are 57 obituary references today, but I must take a moment to speak about one person who has been a close associate — Devender Singh Rana. He spent nearly two decades of my 26 years in politics by my side.”
Amidst the solemn tributes, Abdullah’s voice was filled with emotions as he recounted their journey together.
“I became the president of the National Conference, and Devender was my media advisor. When I became chief minister in 2009, he once again stepped into the role of advisor. Through every twist and turn, his dedication never faltered,” he said.
“He never complained when I reshuffled the ministries or when he was tasked with organisational work. His loyalty to the National Conference was unwavering, and his hard work was evident to all,” Abdullah said.
He made a gesture towards the opposition BJP benches and said, “You all witnessed it; wherever he was sent — be it Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, or Gujarat — he excelled.”
Abdullah shared a glimpse into Rana’s humble beginnings, reminiscing “he started with a small Maruti service station who was often seen in mechanic uniform, diligently cleaning vehicles.”
“That was the essence of Devender — hardworking and humble which led to him being a successful businessman with an empire of showrooms but he always remained grounded,” he said.
As the chief minister continued, his voice broke, a sign of the depth of his sorrow. “In my 25-26 years of politics, many have come and gone, but the departure of Devender Singh Rana has left a profound impact on my heart.
“Today, I regret not realising how seriously ill he was; I would have sought to mend our relationship. Unfortunately, that opportunity never came, and now, we gather here to pay our tributes,” he said.
Abdullah’s heartfelt words echoed through the assembly, capturing the essence of a friendship that transcended politics. “His loss is not just a political one for me; it is deeply personal. The regret of his departure will remain with me for the rest of my life.”
After his speech, the House observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed souls. (With inputs from PTI)
