Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday said National Conference has a legacy of service and sacrifice saying that the party will continue to shoulder the cause of protecting the special status of the state at any cost.
Addressing a mammoth public gathering at Handwara in north Kashmir Party vice Present Omar Abdullah, while recounting the scarifies of numerous party functionaries said, “We remember the sacrifices of our party men, we remember the day when one of our colleague Late Ghulam Rasool Malik was snatched from us on January 1990. He laid down his precious life while saving the mosque and the people from the conflagration. It is only National Conference that has been targeted by the forces as are inimical to our special status. We have always been scorn in the eyes of those who are inimical to our interests. Even today only NC is solely carrying forward the mission of protecting the special status of our state. We have always shouldered that mission with zeal; we will continue to do it in the future as well.”
While highlighting the role played by party’s Baramulla parliamentary candidate Muhammad Akbar Lone in dismantling Ikhwan, Omar said, “He was the one who had set off a battle against Ikhwan in 1996. Ikhwanis tried to weaken him, but in 2002 he made them leave bag and baggage, even today he has come forth to fight the forces as are inimical to state, this time he again needs your support as you did previously, for it is your support that will strengthen his efforts to trounce the nefarious designs of BJP and its cronies in the State.”
Omar while cautioning the people about the agenda of BJP, said, “Earlier today BJP came up with its manifesto, the issues of the temple, unified civil code have again shown up there, but the major stress has been given on the revocation of Art 370 and 35-A. Today they have again racked up the issue of its revocation. I fail to understand why aren’t they able to understand that our state is not like any other state of India. We didn’t merge with the union; we are the only state that kept its own constitution. I challenge them to do away with the constitutional provisions. The people of our state won’t allow you to do it.”
“Even if they forge friendships with many people here they won’t achieve their anticipated goal. Let go on forging a friendship with those who have always bartered our honor, but let me tell you that friendship won’t help you to achieve your nefarious designs. These people whom Modi is clubbing with have been coming forth in different hues and gowns. Today they are holding apples.”
Omar said that if article 35-A is fiddled with, our students won’t be able to secure scholarships; our unemployed youth won’t be able to get jobs. “The Land to Tiller reforms and the other constitutional safeguards that were secured by Sher-e-Kashmir would be infringed upon if these Articles are done away with. However, thinking about removing them is sheer daydreaming, for we won’t allow them to achieve such an end.”
“We have to decide if we want to send those forces to Delhi who sat in the lap of BJP, the ones who want to dismantle mosques, those who want to impose uniform civil code, those who want to destroy our special status, and those who are infringing Sharia Law of Muslims. Are we going to help those? If yes then we have to give our votes to apple. Because the relation of PC with BJP is an open secret,” he said.
“In November when we tried to strike a coalition with Congress-PDP to save the state from the continuous onslaught of BJP, Mehooba Mufti shot a letter to the governor, we too agreed to forge a coalition to take the poison for the sake of protecting our status. But meantime another letter was shot to the governor by Sajad Lone staking claim to form the government. Sajad had staked a claim on the basis of BJP’s strength in assembly. Nonetheless, if PC was able to form a government and have a CM berth, then the BJP would have sought PC’s support in parliament on various issues. Can we trust such a Party?”
Censuring Sajad for hobnobbing with BJP at the cost of the people of state, Omar said, “In 2014 we were successful in restoring peace, and sense of security, we were able to bring many of our youngsters from across the border but Modi government put all the good work that we were able to achieve into an abyss. They brought the state on the brink of destruction. However, it is the PDP-PC that allowed them to set their foothold in Kashmir. What followed was unrelenting arrests, intimidation, and today our highways have also been snatched from us, if Sajad claims Modi to be his elder brother why didn’t younger brother ask his elder brother to stop unleashing miseries on our people.”
“In 2016 when our people were blinded why didn’t he impress upon on his elder brother to embalm bruised people of Kashmir, why didn’t he impressed his brother for talks, when we all were urging the centre to end the deadlock and hold talks with all stakeholders. Now he says I got the rail, may I ask where it is? He says that he got the tunnel, where is it? The survey part of the projects hasn’t been carried out yet. He has not been able to macadamize the single road roads of Handwara. How can he manage big projects if he cannot do this little for the constituency? How can we trust him?”
Party Vice President while flaying PDP-PC for creating a ruckus over his undertaking on removing PSA, he said, “In Pulwama, I took an undertaking to do away with PSA if our party is voted to power. However, during my previous stint as CM, I mellowed down the law to a great extent. I had anticipated opposition to it by centre, but to my surprise, the opposition came from PDP and PC. Is that they want PSA, to continue. PSA was brought in during Sheikh Sbs tenure with a sole purpose to protect our state from jungle smugglers. I don’t pass the buck; I am not one of them. It was given more teeth by the governor administration post militancy six years after the death of Sheikh Sahib. Now that I have undertaken to do away with it all of them up are against me. This reveals their true disposition,” adding, “Now that they are raising hue and cry about saving our special status when he comes here you should ask him who was the one who as cabinet minister said that he has come to Mumbai to throw the Art 370 into the sea.”
Party Vice President said that he will never compromise with the special status of the state and will never sit with BJP, “However when Sajad comes to Handwara you should seek same assurances from him as well.”
Among other party’s senior leader Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan also addressed the gathering. Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, Salam ud din Bajad and additional Spokesperson Sara Hayat Shah were also present.
