As far as the Congress is concerned, the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Jammu and Kashmir could function as before but under a new fold. Omar comes calling SRINAGAR: National Conference chief Omar Abdullah called on J-K Chief Minister-designate Mufti Mohammad Sayed at his Nowgam residence on Tuesday. Omar’s visit was to reciprocate the ‘‘courtesy’’ call of PDP vice-president Muzaffar Hussain Beigh to Farooq Abdullah after the poll results came out and the NC faced a debacle. Omar’s gesture has been appreciated as a move to end the acrimony between the two families who have been at each other’s throats. Addressing a gathering after Mufti returned from New Delhi, Beigh had asked his supporters to restrain from anti-NC sloganeering. Meanwhile, a National Conference leader said Omar had already made it clear that the NC will play the role of healthy Opposition. (ENS) Even inquiries into allegations of atrocities by security forces would be limited to specific cases like custodial deaths — a major departure from the PDP’s election manifesto.The toning down of the PDP’s two key promises was done at the behest of the Congress by its negotiator Arjun Singh, who framed their common minimum programme.‘‘Disbanding (of SOG) was never accepted,’’ Singh said. ‘‘Relocation of the SOG can always be done where they get to keep their jobs and would be doing the same work. If changing of nomenclature can achieve that (address the public opinion), it is worth trying.’’However, the new partners have agreed on a review of POTA cases. ‘‘When POTA has been found not to be just a law, then the next corollary is whatever has been done should be undone,’’ Singh said.Regarding the Congress surrendering its claim for the chief minister’s post, Singh said: ‘‘The PDP has been struggling with the forces that have held sway in the state till now. So supporting it was natural. The J-K situation is not one where two parties just come together and start taking part in a government. There are so many dimensions to it.’’‘‘Realities force you to look at the situation. When the people’s mandate calls for cooperation a few things have to be shed here and there,’’ Singh said.
