Asking Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government to “wake up” as situation in the state has gone out of control, former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah Tuesday said the present dispensation instead of worrying about the welfare of people was trying to divide them.
“I am very sorry that the present government instead of worrying about people and situation are further dividing people…,” Abdullah, who was ousted as president of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association a day before, told reporters at JKCA headquarters here.
“I am very sorry to tell Mufti sahib, this (interference in cricket body) is not what we expected from him. We never expected that he was going to do such things. We thought he was going to do some developmental work for Kashmiris after they suffered severe floods (last year) and were still suffering. And are they (government) waking up? The youth of Kashmir, instead of being channelised into right groups is becoming more radicalised. Are they worried about it? Are they thinking how to save that situation? No, they are only worried about saving themselves,” he said, as per the KNS correspondent present in the press conference.
Dr Abdullah urged the government to wake up. “Please wake up. The situation (in the state) is not under control. And I hope it does not go out of control,” he said.
JKCA witnessed a high-pitched drama on Monday with rebel group of the cricket body electing state Sports Minister Imran Ansari as the body’s President in an attempt to end Farooq Abdullah’s 35-year stint, but the move was also stayed by a Magistrate in Jammu.
Abdullah said he will fight a legal battle against “goonda raj” of the coalition government. “They think by the government they will do goonda raj. That is not going to be acceptable. We will fight them a legal battle. We are not going to be cowed down by their tactics,” he said, adding The he has filed an FIR against the government.
He said that JKCA was one place where energies of youth could have been channelised towards betterment and ‘we will continue to work for the youth and give them better line of thinking and better future in the world.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel”
Abdullah, who was re-elected as JKCA President for a three-year term in May 2014 extending his rein which began in 1980, dubbed Ansari’s election as “illegal and unconstitutional”, saying he still had nearly two years left in his tenure.
However, on Monday, shortly after 42 of the 64-member JKCA declared Ansari as the new President unopposed, claiming that Abdullah did not contest, a petition was moved by the former Chief Minister’s faction in the court of sub-judge Amarjeet Singh Langey, who stayed the election results.
He said many of those who ousted him from JKCA’s presidentship “illegally” were afraid that their names many crop up in the scam that have taken place in cricket body. “Names of many of those are in the scams that took place in JKCA. And they are afraid that in the procedure rapidly going in the court their names will be merged. And thus to scuttle that they thought the best process is to take over the JKCA,” he said.
Abdullah added that he will protect the JKCA and the future of players associated with it. “I am not interested in anything else except the promotions of our boys and girls, not only on Indian map but also on international map. Our boys should get that privilege that is why JKCA paid huge amount to bring coaches from outside and now we have determination of further having our own coaches, two in Jammu and two in Kashmir, so that further training can be given to our boys so that they can meet the challenge of top players,” he said.
The NC leader said the present dispensation was not happy with the kind of work JKCA was doing under his watch. “Why are not they happy? What is the problem? Is it that Farooq Abdullah is a thief? Let them prove it. Rather I gave money to JKCA from my own Parliament fund,” he added.