Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the US should exert some control over Israel to ensure the success of the ceasefire with Iran.
He also said that Pakistan, who facilitated peace talks between the warring nations, has done what others could not.
“The US should exert some control over Israel. The way they are conducting indiscriminate bombing campaigns in Lebanon and the manner in which innocent lives are being taken there, how can a ceasefire possibly hold?” Abdullah told reporters here.
The ceasefire is a welcome initiative, but, if it fails, “the blame will be solely on Israel,” he said.
“It will not be the fault of Iran or anyone else. So, the US should exert some restraint over Israel,” he added.
US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran as proposed by Pakistan.
The ceasefire has, however, been under strain due to alleged violations by Israel, which launched strikes against Lebanon.
On a fresh threat from Trump, Abdullah aired the notion that perhaps the US president doesn’t know what he is doing.
“He says one thing in the morning, another thing in the afternoon and the third one in the evening. The language that he uses is unbecoming of anyone let alone the US president. He ought to remind himself that he holds the office of the US president,” the chief minister said.
He said that if anyone else uses such language on social media, they will be blocked and their account seized. “But because he is the US president, people fear him and there is no action against him.”
Abdullah wondered what was the point of making repeated threats.
“It was not Iran that initiated this war. The war was thrust upon Iran. First, tell us what was the actual objective of this war? After the ceasefire, the US has claimed a monumental victory, citing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. But, the Strait was already open prior to the war and it was accessible to everyone, free of charge,” he said.
The National Conference leader said after the war, Iran seized the opportunity to impose a toll tax for passing through the Strait. “So, what exactly has been achieved?”
Abdullah also asked the US president to create fertile conditions so that the ceasefire holds.
He also somewhat concurred with the Congress’s claim that the choice of Pakistan as mediator was the failure of India’s foreign policy.
“I won’t go into whether it was a failure or a success, but we have to accept that Pakistan did what others couldn’t. I personally believe that our relations with Israel have become a bit of a weakness. Because, as I said, only Israel wants this war,” he said.
Perhaps if India’s government wasn’t so close to Israel, it could have done what Pakistan did, he said.
“I think, and this is my personal opinion, that we couldn’t play this role because our relations with Israel are too close. Now, the ceasefire that happened was good; if Pakistan played a role in it, then so be it,” he added.
On the Women’s Reservation Bill, Abdullah said the government and the BJP need to come clean on what was wrong with the previous bill already passed by the Parliament.
“First and foremost, it needs to be explained why a new bill is needed for a bill that had already been passed. Nobody is answering that question. We are all for women’s reservation. But, if I understand correctly, we had been told that women’s reservation would follow the Census and the delimitation. What has changed?” he said.
The chief minister said the previous women’s reservation bill was brought by the same government and was not inherited from the previous governments.
Abdullah said the Urban Local Body elections in J&K would be held at an “appropriate” time.
Asked about the CAG report that revealed the disappearance of 315 water-bodies and lakes, and shrinking of 205 in the Union Territory, Abdullah said it was so because of urbanisation, pressures on land, and climate change.
“While some of these things are within our control, some are a fallout of a wider problem. But yes, I think we need to be more conscious of the damage that we are doing,” he said.
“Why don’t we use less plastic bags? I mean, is it going to take a government order banning the use of plastic bags completely for us to wake up to this problem? As a concerned citizen, what stops me from carrying a bag from home for shopping? Why do I have to take a plastic bag to the shops?” he added.
Earlier, Abdullah distributed 90 appointment letters under the provisions of the old SRO 43 – the Compassionate Appointment Scheme – and its replacement, the Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme (RAS).
Abdullah said these appointments were not a favour upon anyone.
“Some of our valued colleagues passed away during their period of service; this scheme was implemented specifically to ensure that their families do not face hardship and that their households can continue to function smoothly,” he said.
