Srinagar: National Conference (NC) leader and MLA Hazratbal, Salman Sagar Wednesday lashed out at opposition parties for criticizing the functioning of Omar Abdullah-led government in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the government is addressing concerns of people in a gradual manner and the process will take time as “things cannot be reversed overnight”.
Talking to media persons in Srinagar, the NC junior Sagar claimed that the government is laying the foundation for a process which will be completed in coming times. He said whether there is an issue of infrastructural development or satellite townships, all things will be cleared in times to come.
He slammed the opposition for “cheap criticism”, saying let the opposition do its criticism in the coming five years, and let us do our work in that period of time.
“NC is not the partner of BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, rather we are part of the INDIA bloc. We have an alliance with Congress, and not with BJP. It is our opponent (referring to PDP without naming it directly) which brought BJP into J&K,” Sagar claimed.
However, it is a reality that there is a BJP government in place at the Centre “and we have to maintain cordial relations with them for smooth functioning of the government. If there had been others like Congress and CPI(M), we would have maintained the same relations with them,” the NC leader said.
Replying to a question over proposed satellite townships, the NC leader challenged the opposition and asked them to point out a single outsider being given accommodation there. “I challenge opposition parties to identify a single outsider who will be given residence there. This is mere and petty politics. Our opponents need to rest, and introspect on the defeat they faced in recently held assembly elections in J&K. I will say that such townships are solely for the local domiciles,” he said.
He said that the NC government does not need the BJP as it has comfortable numbers for the government on its own. “We can never go close to BJP. We have a majority, and people have given us a huge mandate. We have no need to fall in BJP’s lap,” he said.
Pointing to the Srinagar Smart City project works, which are currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Sagar said, “From day-one, we could see the poor quality of work in the Srinagar Smart City project. Today, our concerns have turned out to be true.”
He recalled how his party was among the first to raise concerns about the Smart City project. “We had already pointed out flaws and even held a press conference against it. The work was done in haste, and the time frame given for such large-scale infrastructure projects, including roads and buildings, was unrealistic. Now, we are witnessing the results as the poor-quality construction is being exposed,” he stated.
He said that lack of proper planning has led to the present situation. “Unfortunately, whatever we had predicted has come true. Those in power have been making the same promises for five years without delivering results. However, we are confident that the more they talk, the better we will perform. We believe in letting our work speak for itself,” he said.
