Omar promises to withdraw cases against stone-pelters
Says, party has won Baramulla LS seat
Anantnag: Former chief minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Saturday said NC will quash all the cases against the stone-pelters if the party is voted to power in the next Assembly elections.
“We will withdraw all cases against the stone-pelters if we form the next government,” Omar said.
Addressing an election rally at Khanabal, Omar also reiterated that the NC government will abrogate the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA).
While claiming that NC had won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, Omar said that the party will win the Anantnag seat as well if people come out to vote.
He asserted that the state’s special status is under peril saying that the BJP’s explicit and forceful undertaking to revoke the constitutional safeguards of J&K by 2020 reveals their malicious agenda.
“We have seen how explicitly some of the high-flying ministers of Union Cabinet have come out against the special status of our state. The recent uncouth and spiteful statements of Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah are a case in point. Our concern is legitimate in view of the BJP’s undertaking in their manifesto about doing away with the special position of our state. Amidst all these intimidation, it becomes imperative for us to forge unity to save the special position of our state,” he said
NC vice president said that National Conference had offered unconditional support to the PDP to form the government in 2014 after the results of the elections were out.
“However, late Mufti turned down our offer. He told us that he had to develop the state, lessen the army presence, initiate dialogue with Hurriyat and Pakistan, therefore, it was apt for him to forge the alliance with BJP. I had cautioned him against any such misadventure keeping in view the abhorrence of BJP for minorities particularly Muslims. I had cautioned him about the consequences of having BJP role in the state government, which happens to be a Muslim majority state. What followed was a colossal betrayal of people’s mandate. PDP formed the government with the same BJP against whom it had canvassed in the run-up to assembly elections in 2014,” Omar said.
“What followed the ill-fated embrace of Late Mufti sahab with BJP is history, the state witnessed worst of crisis, CASOs, Crackdowns, operation all-out and arrests. People are asking the question from PDP what good were they able to achieve from hobnobbing with the BJP. People are asking where the jobs are, what was done on the front of the development, what measures were taken to take back the power projects. People didn’t see any dialogue happening with Pakistan, they didn’t see the centre holding parleys with the different voices in our state. On the contrary, what they did was to throw the state into chaos. Today our religious leaders are being intimidated; thousands of our youth are behind the bars. Who is responsible for this? I was not in power when cases were slashed on Mirwaiz Umar Farooq by NIA; it was during Mehbooba ji’s tenure that cases were filed against Mirwaiz. She cannot absolve herself of the role she played in destroying the state. It was south Kashmir that bore much of the brunt of PDPs and BJPs hobnobbing”.
He, however, said that once NC government comes to power, all the pending cases against youth will be reviewed.
“We will make amends to the wrongs committed by the PDP. I reaffirm that once in power PSA has to go lock stock and barrel. It shall be obliterated from the papers if we are voted to power with a strong mandate,” he said.
Referring to the party’s candidate from Anantnag parliamentary constituency Hasnain Masoodi he said, “Keeping in view the onslaught on our identity and integrity, we deliberately fielded Rtd Justice Hasnain Masoodi from this constituency. He bears the indispensable political and legal acumen to fight for interests of our state inside the parliament.”
PM Modi talking like Hitler: Farooq Abdullah
Srinagar, Apr 13: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday compared outgoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to former German dictator Adolf Hitler.
Addressing an election rally in Khanyar area of downtown Srinagar, Abdullah said the Hitler used to say same things as Modi is saying today.
“Like Modi is saying Sabka Saath Sab ka Vikas, Hitler was saying same things back then in Germany,” Farooq Abdullah said while addressing the rally.
He said that 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed in an attack in Pulwama and Modi did not ask for a probe.
“40 troopers died in Pulwama and Modi is only saying Balakote, Balakote Balakote … Did he ask for a probe?” Abdullah questioned.
He also said that everyone in Jammu and Kashmir was ready to fight against abrogation of Article 370.
