Mixed reactions to Modi package

The announcement of Rs 80,000 crore economic package for Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday evoked mixed response from political parties of the state.

While the ruling PDP-BJP alliance hailed the announcement saying the package has the potential of becoming a turning point in the history of J&K, the Opposition National Conference (NC) and Congress said Modi disappointed the people of the state.

Separatists, while rejecting the package, said that money cannot “buy aspirations of Kashmiri people.”

PDP president and MP Mehbooba Mufti, while welcoming the economic package, said besides infrastructure rebuilding, it also includes funds for the rehabilitation of the flood-affected households, traders and growers who suffered huge economic losses in the devastating deluge of September 2014.

Mehbooba also hailed the prime minister’s announcement of carrying forward and consolidating the initiatives of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on J&K, which he had announced at the same venue in 2003.

However, NC working president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said that the people of J&K were “disappointed” with the prime minister as the announcement of financial package “would not address the political issues” of the state. “We are disappointed. We were prepared for a historic visit which did not happen. We did not get to hear what we wanted to hear. Perhaps we should not have attached too many hopes,” Omar told reporters here.

Omar said that economic packages will not resolve the political issue of the state as it had not done in the past.

The former chief minister said he was expecting renewal of talks with Pakistan and the alienated sections of the society but a “good opportunity has been lost”. State Congress president G A Mir termed the package a “mere eyewash and a political gimmick to appease his (Modi’s) coalition partner in J&K.” Hitting out at the prime minister, he said that Modi failed to announce much talked about peace initiative.

Moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar said that packages cannot resolve decades-old Kashmir dispute.

“Modi says ‘Delhi treasury open’ but sadly hearts and minds closed! Kashmir a political issue not economic, money cannot buy Kashmiri aspirations,” he said in a tweet.