The tweet of recently released National Conference Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s demand for ban on advertisements to print and electronic media for two long years in the wake of increasing spread of COVID-19 pandemic was by all standards of understandabilities his direct attempt to link demand for ban on media advertisements with the two year ban on MPLAD funds of MPs. Unfortunately Omar while blaming media for applauding the government over ban on MPLAD funds of MPs for dealing with the ongoing crisis triggered by COVID-19 pandemic spread and criticizing Congress President Sonia Gandhi for the demand over ban on advertisements to print and electronic media did not spoke about the response of the dozens of his own party’s ex legislators and former parliamentarians towards the government or non-governmental relief operations in Jammu & Kashmir. Unfortunately Omar Abdullah while delivering sermons to media over critical reports and comments against Sonia Gandhi for demanding ban on advertisements for two years did not bother to speak about the contributions of dozens of former legislators of his own party who could have immensely contributed for the “Jammu & Kashmir Relief Fund” of the Jammu & Kashmir Government. Even if Omar Abdullah won’t like his party’s former legislators to contribute for Jammu & Kashmir Government’s relief fund, he could have launched a parallel relief operation of his own party by raising donations from his own party’s former legislators for the people hit by COVID-19 pandemic in Jammu & Kashmir.
Instead of talking about the restoration of the powers of MPs over use of MPLAD funds for health operations against COVID-19 pandemic in their respective constituencies, Omar Abdullah the National Conference Vice President, a former Chief Minister and a former Lok Sabha Member has without any rhyme or reason overtly and covertly supported Sonia Gandhi over her demand for ban on advertisements to media houses covering the healthcare operations of both the government and private health facility centres by putting to higher risk the lives of their reporters in a very difficult situation .
Instead of taking any relief initiative on behalf of his own party, the National Conference Vice President, a former Chief Minister and a former Lok Sabha Member has not even himself contributed even a single penny for any governmental or non-governmental relief operation after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in any part of Jammu & Kashmir. Notably the former legislator of Jammu & Kashmir are drawing monthly pension of not less than Rs 70,000. Instead of criticising media for criticizing Sonia Gandhi over her demand for ban on media advertisements, the former Chief Minister could have demanded the spending of MPLAD funds of MPs exclusively for healthcare, patient care and stocking of essential commodities in the priority areas of the Lok Sabha constituencies on the recommendation of the concerned Lok Sabha and Rajaya Sabha members. After all the merging of MPLAD funds of MPs with the consolidated fund of India has deprived the sitting MPs of the right to spend local area funds in their own local areas on the demands of the people of their own constituencies in fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of talking about the restoration of the powers of MPs over use of MPLAD funds for health operations against COVID-19 pandemic in their respective constituencies, Omar Abdullah the National Conference Vice President, a former Chief Minister and a former Lok Sabha Member has without any rhyme or reason overtly and covertly supported Sonia Gandhi over her demand for ban on advertisements to media houses covering the healthcare operations of both the government and private health facility centres by putting to higher risk the lives of their reporters in a very difficult situation .
