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The Rediff Interview/ Omar Farooq

'How long can we go on supporting this government?'

Omar Farooq, son of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and the youngest member of the 12th Lok Sabha, is a different kind of politician: drop-dead good looks combined with a confident, cultivated air mark him out in a gathering of dyed-in-the-wool politicians. Like the group assembled last Monday evening at New Delhi's Hotel Ashoka, courtesy Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy.

Obviously, in an assembly of ex-prime ministers and other bigwigs, a rookie MP cannot expect to be noticed, by either the media or the rest of the players in the political proscenium.

Sitting by himself in a corner, Omar Farooq was an amused spectator as the rest of the crowd made fools of themselves over the two most powerful women politicians in India. When Saisuresh Sivaswamy buttonholed him for an interview, the youngster did not pull his punches, and spoke out against the Bharatiya Janata Party's tactics. How can a party that courts us on the eve of a crucial Parliament session forget us the rest of the time, he asked. And if he were to have his way, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee could be in trouble from other allies as well, not just the AIADMK. Excerpts from the interview:

Your presence at this tea party is a little unexpected...

As you yourself said, this is only a tea party, nothing else, so why should my presence here raise any eyebrows?

But you know as well as anyone else that there is a special significance attached to this evening. There is a possibility that this evening could lead to a political realignment at the Centre. If that were to happen, where does the National Conference fit in?

The National Conference has 3 or 4 MPs in the Lok Sabha. With this small number, how can we expect to play a major role in national politics?

There is already talk of cut motions on the Budget which, if passed, could lead to the government's fall And given this Lok Sabha's structure, every MP obviously counts...

Yes, my own view is that we should vote in favour of the cut motions, and this is what I will recommend to my party.

Even if it leads to the fall of the government? Why are you so angry with the BJP?

I am angry because we have got nothing in return for supporting the government. And when I say that, I mean Kashmir has not been granted anything, no special packages have been announced for it, even though it is well known that we are the worst sufferers of cross-border terrorism.

The same BJP that courts us in order to get our few MPs to abstain during a vote in the Lok Sabha does not show any concern for our needs. How long can we go on supporting this government? What do we tell the people back home?

Do you feel the decision to support this government one year ago was wrong?

No, I don't think so. At that time it seemed to us to be the right decision. The BJP seemed all set to form the government, and the National Conference has always favoured good relations with the central government, whoever is in power. We took the decision to back this government keeping in mind the state's best interests.

Your senior leader and veteran MP Saifuddin Soz had come out against the decision then. Do you feel, in retrospect, that he was right?

Yes, in retrospect Mr Soz seems to have been right.

You have been talking about your party's demands for Kashmir. What are they?

Our basic demand is that the central government should defray the state's security-related expenditure, which comes to about Rs1000 crore [10 million equals 1 crore] annually. This has not been done despite repeated requests.

Does it now mean that your party is willing to support a Congress-led government?

Let the Congress first form the government, then we will see.

Is your father in agreement with your views?

I don't know. He met the prime minister only a couple of days ago. I don't know what happened at that meeting.

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