Srinagar, Aug 28: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the ending of fast by Anna Hazare was a victory for people's power and showed the resilience of parliamentary democracy.
“It is a victory for people's power and shows the resilience of parliamentary democracy. Both worked together to end Anna Hazare's fast,” Omar told reporters here. The Chief Minister said it was now the job of parliament to carry forward the process of making a strong Lokpal which will help in weeding out corruption.
“Without Anna's fast, we could not have reached here. The impetus to its (Lokpal) passage was given by his fast,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the 13-day-long fast by the noted Gandhian has shown what a peaceful protest and a strong leadership can achieve.
Earlier, Omar had refused to comment on Anna's fast and even made sarcastic remarks about the extensive media coverage given to it.
“Am I wrong to be completely fed up of the back to back coverage of this whole Anna thing? I'm boycotting my TV and newspapers for a few days,” he tweeted on the third day of Anna's fast.
A few days later, Omar wrote, “Since nothing is happening in the world other than Anna and I refuse to tweet about Anna ergo I can't tweet about anything.”
Meanwhile, National Panthers Party (NPP) Chairman Bhim Singh also welcomed the end of deadlock between Centre and Anna Hazare but demanded inclusion of Jammu and Kashmir in the ambit of the Lokpal bill.
“We appreciate the initiative of the Prime Minister and welcome the development in New Delhi following the end of Anna's fast,” Singh told reporters here. The NPP Chief, however, said he regretted that neither the Parliament nor Team Anna have realised the gravity of situation prevailing in the state.
“Anna's silence is shocking on this issue... the Lokpal should be applicable to this state, which is integeral part of the Union,” Singh said.
“People of this state should not be deprived of this law,” he added. PTI
