Srinagar: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Saturday said that any differences among the INDIA bloc constituents will be resolved amongst themselves and batted for “better conversation” among the alliance partners on issues that are of a “sensitive nature”.
Khurshid was replying to queries on ties with National Conference (NC) and the recent remarks by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that the ‘Vote Chori’ campaign was the Congress party’s own agenda and had nothing to do with the INDIA bloc.
Playing down the issue, the former minister stressed the need to focus on the “many commonalities” among the parties forming the opposition alliance.
“We have done a campaign. Of course, if he (Abdullah) believes that the campaign is unnecessary, I am sure that he will speak amongst the top leaders. It is not fair for me to comment,” Khurshid told reporters here on Abdullah distancing himself from the Congress party’s stand.
The Congress leader was here to address a press conference as part of the party’s nationwide campaign on the issues of MGNREGA and the National Herald case.
He said the alliance was formed after opposition leaders of the country held several meetings during which Abdullah was also present.
“They together came to a conclusion that they must have an alliance. And that alliance was very successful in (last year’s) Parliament elections. We may not have achieved 100 per cent success, but we achieved a high level of success,” he said.
Khurshid, however, said if there are any issues that any of the leaders of the alliance have about the working of the alliance, “they will solve it among themselves”.
“I don’t think it is for you and me to sit and comment about what one leader feels or doesn’t feel, about what one leader contributes or doesn’t contribute. I think it is amongst the leaders, for them, to solve the issue,” he said.
He stressed that the alliance was “not a negation” of the independent identity of political parties.
“They don’t write off their own identity or ideology. It is the common ideology, the common identity that makes the alliance. But, parties have to continue working on their own basis as well,” he said.
The former external affairs minister said while there may be some issues, there are commonalities in the alliance.
“There are many commonalities. So, let us explore the commonalities and enhance those, not worrying about the differences. Wherever there are human beings, there will be differences,” he said.
To a question whether the Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir — which is part of the ruling alliance in the Union territory — had given “too much room” to the chief minister to criticise it, Khurshid said it is for the local party unit to judge how much elbow space needs to be given.
“There has to be some elbow room. You have to be able to respond; you can’t just be a mute spectator. You have to be able to respond, but they have to judge for themselves what the elbow space that we should have,” he said.
Within that space, the Congress leader added, they (J&K unit of Congress) must operate.
“The point is, when you do an alliance, and when you come together and you cooperate, you don’t just write off your own identity completely. You have to keep your identity alive, even for the sake of the alliance you have to keep your identity alive.
“But, if we have a better conversation amongst the alliance partners on issues that are of a sensitive nature, I think we will all be happier for it,” he said.
Congress leader also said the party is hurt by the government’s move to pass the VB-G RAM G Bill in Parliament, replacing the MGNREGA and thereby “removing” Mahatma Gandhi’s name, but stressed that he lives in the hearts of the people.
“MGNREGA was associated with Mahatma Gandhi’s personality, with his greatness, with his name. They have removed it. A question arises about what benefit anyone will get by it and what purpose it will serve,” Khurshid said.
Gandhiji continues to live in the hearts of the people of India, and his name cannot be erased, he said. “We are hurt, but no one can diminish it, no one can erase it. The public will give the answer to this.”
He said Gandhiji’s name was not just emotionally associated with the scheme, but was also associated with the movement.
The scheme envisaged 100 days of work for the poor according to the demands of the locals in a particular area, and it went on successfully for 20 years, Khurshid remarked. “Now, the decision on what work is to be undertaken will be made by officers and not people. The right to make decisions that was given to the village has been snatched away from them.”
He said the new scheme puts a burden on the states, as only 60 percent of the money will come from the Central government, and the state governments will have to fund the remaining amount. Twelve crore workers who will be affected by this, he added.
On the National Herald case, Khurshid said some “mischievous people” wanted to present the legal steps taken in the reorganisation of the National Herald in such a way that people understand that it is a scam.
“This matter has been going on for the last 10-12 years. The Enforcement Directorate called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and questioned him continuously for five days. They tried to find something that they could use to move forward,” he said.
The Congress leader alleged that when the government could not find anything, “they used their old trick, their strategy that when someone doesn’t come under their control from elsewhere, they either use the CBI or the ED.”
“However, the court rejected the ED’s chargesheet, describing it as an unilateral over-reach,” he added.
Khurshid accused the government of interfering with the fundamental system of democracy — the right to vote.
“There is no greater right in a democracy than the right to vote. And because you are interfering with it, the Congress party has launched a very big movement against “Vote Chori”. It is still going on, and it will continue,” he said.
“Our belief is that on one hand, a fundamental interference is being made to derail democracy. On the other hand, interference is being made in the system, the administrative system, the legal system, by misusing the ED and CBI,” he said.
He, however, added that the Congress would continue to fight this battle.
“We are not afraid, we do not back down, we will continue to face it with strength,” Khurshid said.
He also expressed hope that statehood would be restored to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Your democratic fight is a fight for your existence. By your existence, I mean your statehood. In a federal democracy, there is an identity, statehood.
“If someone interfered with that identity, tried to diminish it, then I believe there cannot be a greater insolence against democracy than that. And this insolence has occurred against democracy,” he said.
Khurshid said the government had made a promise before the Supreme Court to restore the statehood, but much time has passed. “You have not received statehood till today. I hope that your fight will succeed at the earliest,” he added.
