Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Thursday reiterated the party’s resolve to fight for the restoration of J&K’s abridged democratic rights.
He, according to the NC spokesperson, said this while addressing a party workers’ convention in Tral. The convention was organized by In Charge constituency Tral Dr Ghulam Nabi Bhat.
Among others, General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, Party Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani Sogami, Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, South Zone President Syed Tauqeer Shah, South Zone VP Muhammad Khalil Bandh, District President Pulwama Ghulam Mohi Ud Din Mir also addressed the workers on the occasion. Political Advisor to VP Mudassar Shahmiri, DDC Mukhtyar Bandh, and numerous party’s local unit functionaries were also present on the occasion.
In his address, Omar said that he was fighting for the people of J&K and was not aiming for any chair. “I have been the chief minister of J&K for six years. It is not something which I aspire to become. I am fighting for a larger cause, it’s the restoration of our dignity, the protection of our unique & historical identity and our abridged democratic rights. Violence has never been our forte, we will continue to fight democratically, constitutionally, legally, and peacefully. We won’t go back on our promises, we will continue with our struggle,” he said.
He further said that NC’s series of successful conventions has irked its political opponents whose political rallies fail to get traction. “Everyone is training guns on NC, be it a leader who had pinned his hopes on us for becoming Chief Minister Or the ones who were either once part of PAGD or are still part of the formation. The groundswell of support for us seems to cause a lot of heartburn for these people.”
Questioning the development claims of the BJP on the revocation of Art 370, Omar said, “Where is the promised development, job extravaganza and progress? Where is the investment? I didn’t see any new hospitals, colleges, or industries coming up in Kashmir. What happened to those promises? When will they materialise?”
He said far from delivering on their claims, the ruling BJP government has plunged the people of J&K into an abyss of hopelessness. “Our Gujjar brothers are being denied rights over forests. Shortage of basic utility services and the administrative deficit are taking a toll on us. People have no idea about where to go to redress their woes,” he added.
