Jammu: Ruling National Conference today hit back at its erstwhile ally Congress over its reported remarks on “governance deficit” in Jammu and Kashmir, saying if at all there is any governance deficit in the state, Congress ministers should be held responsible for it.
“I am sure Professor Saifudin Soz (J&K State Congress Chief) realises that most of the public service departments and infrastructure development departments like Health, Education, PHE, Irrigation, Revenue and PWD (R&B) are held by the Congress and if there is any governance deficit, though NC feels there is none, then these Ministers should be held accountable by the Congress,” NC's Jammu province president Devender Singh Rana said in a statement tonight.
Reacting to a remark by Soz in which he reportedly blamed NC for “governance deficit” in the state, Rana termed it as most unfortunate and unethical.
The NC leader said Soz is well aware of the fact that NC and Congress have been coalition partners for five and a half years and governance is a collective responsibility of both.
All the good that has happened, the credit must go to both and infact lot of good has been done with historic initiatives having been taken, though those with “jaundiced eyes” refuse to see them, Rana said.
The NC MLC further said that if there is anything bad then also the blame lies equally on the coalition and it is improper to pass the buck.
Rana said while the NC has been a part of the government from last six years, the Congress has been a part of the governance structure from last 12 years and so it is more accountable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said unfortunately some Congress leaders have been issuing irresponsible statements from the day one of the coalition “to create instability and administrative chaos” but despite all their efforts the Chief Minister kept the coalition together and delivered on the ground.
Rana urged Soz to refrain from issuing such statements as they are not expected from a PCC President who is a responsible and experienced Parliamentarian.
At a convention in Kathua district yesterday, Soz reportedly said that the Congress suffered due to people's anger against the NC.
“I realised that there was strong anger against the NC in the whole state, in general, and the Kashmir valley, in particular. This anger was responsible for the debacle of the party,” Soz claimed.
He mentioned that in the Kashmir valley the Congress failed to transfer its votes to the coalition partner because people were enraged with the NC and misgovernance was one of the elements in it.
