Srinagar: National Conference president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah Thursday reiterated that the party will continue to strive for restoration of J&K’s statehood and Articles 370, 35-A.
Presiding over a virtual meeting of the party’s Provincial Committee, which lasted for over five hours, party president and the Member Parliament from Srinagar the entire region is at a breaking point due to the August 05 measures, predatory effects of the Covid-19 induced crises, and the ravaging impact of severe weather conditions on horticulture and allied sectors.
“People of the state are caught in a deadly quagmire of economic and political uncertainty. Administrative unaccountability and development stagnation have become the norm of the day. The mislaid rules, regulations, and off-hand orders have put Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh on the path of terminal alienation,” Farooq Abdullah said.
According to a party press release, he said it is the youth who are facing the major brunt of the unconcerned attitude of the incumbent government.
“Nobody other than us in the National Conference can realize the amount of harassment Jammu and Kashmir has suffered at the hands of the present ruling regime as it was this party which had firmly established the state on democratic and constitutional foundations. The seeds of an empowered Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh were sown by us,” Abdullah said, adding “being fashioned in the heroic mould of Sher-e-Kashmir, we won’t give in on the peaceful and constitutional struggle for the restoration of our rights. Our priority will remain the restoration of statehood and restoration of Articles 370, 35-A.”
He said the idea of peace, prosperity and development in J&K will remain elusive until people’s infringed constitutional rights aren’t restored.
“There can be no trade-off between the political aspirations of the people and development; both have to go hand in hand. There is no shift in our party agenda on serving the people, and protecting the unique political and cultural identity of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Farooq Abdullah also exhorted the party functionaries to give all support to the efforts of administration in the battle against Covid-19 and asked the party functionaries, workers and delegates to help people in whatever way they could.
NC vice-president, Omar Abdullah said the party hasn’t accepted August 05 measures as fiat accompli. “We haven’t changed our stance on the measures of August 05. We haven’t relinquished our peaceful, constitutional, and non-violent battle for the restoration of our constitutional rights.”
