Congress will leave no stone unturned in defeating those forces who are conspiring to weaken Article 370: Vakil

GNS Srinagar May 13: Former Minister and Member AICC Abdul Gani Vakil today said that no single party can claim to be in possession of a readymade solution to vexed Kashmir imbroglio. To resolve this issue people of different thoughts from three regions of the state have to be taken on board, Article 370 is to be strengthened and those communal forces bent upon dividing the state are to be kept at bay, Vakil added. While addressing a party workers meeting at Srinagar, he said divisive forces favoring abrogation of Article 370 were the enemies of state and were trying weakening state's relation with Centre but he asserted that Congress will leave no stone unturned in defeating evil designs of those forces who are conspiring to weaken Article 370. "We need to have a consensus on Kashmir situation after which something concrete and an acceptable solution could be hammered out", he asserted. He said no single party can claim to resolve this issue for the reason that everyone has to be taken on board.  He appealed All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders to come to negotiating table so resolve this vexed issue. Drawing the attention of state government towards stagnated development, Vakil urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to prioritize works so that their benefits reach to the deserving people. There is a dire of need of expediting all development works in the state and also take up those ones which have been abandoned midway for no genuine reasons. There is a dire need of checking corruption at all levels so that Central funds meant for state reach down up to grass root level. Bureaucratic hurdles must be done away with so that people have direct access to the government. The way entire system is functioning unaccountable, people have been alienated and were feeling dejected, he observed. Asserting that corruption and nepotism will have to be fought with firm hands in Jammu and Kashmir, Vakil said there is no room for such people and asked Omar Abdullah to implement law under which during the tenure of Ghulam Nabi Azad, properties of corrupt officials whose assets were proved to be more than their known source of income were seized. It was because of the introduction of such stringent laws that Jammu and Kashmir State which was once considered as most corrupt state had scaled down to number 20. However, the situation has again reached back to square ones and we are being considered as number two in the list which was quite unfortunate, Vakil said. 

MLC Haji Ali Mohammad Bhat, General Secretary J&K PCC Dr. Abdul Ahad Yatoo, Ghulam Hassan Shah District President Ganderbal Sr. Congress leader Aga Syed Mohsin, Ghulam Ahmad Lone, Sr. Vice President INTUC Farooq Ahmad Wangnoo and Youth Congress leader Altaf Ahmad Malik also addressed the meeting