Srinagar: Facing criticism from the Peoples Democratic Party and Peoples Conference over allegedly dragging its feet on the restoration of Article 370, National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah Tuesday said that there was no question of any sort of compromise on the party’s manifesto.
Talking to a select group of media in Srinagar, as per news agency KINS, Abdullah said that the opposition’s job is to do opposition and let them do it. “There is no question of budging even an inch as far as our party manifesto is concerned,” the NC president said, adding that “the party document is before people. We will fulfill every point mentioned in our document.”
Abdullah’s remarks come amidst growing questions about the opposition’s clarity on key issues, including Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir before its abrogation in 2019. Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier raised concerns about the opposition’s collective silence on the matter, sparking debates about the need for a unified stance.
Farooq Abdullah reiterated his party’s steadfastness, outlining that the NC has never wavered in its commitments. “We do not succumb to pressure,” he said, assuring the people of Jammu and Kashmir that his party would continue to fight for the restoration of their rights and constitutional protections.
According to the NC patriarch, it is a crucial challenge for the Congress and opposition parties, whose perceived silence on sensitive issues is being interpreted as a sign of weakness. “I am urging opposition leaders to rethink their strategies and present a unified front on matters of national and regional significance,” Abdullah said.
Replying to a query about Mirwaiz Umar Farooq advocating dialogue for peace in J&K, he said he was glad to see Mirwaiz free and moving around in the city. “I am happy to see him talking about peace in J&K. We all have to work towards establishing peace,” he said.
NC president said all this at a time when parties like PDP and PC are criticising NC, alleging that the party has entered into a compromise over Article 370 restoration and that the resolution on the same passed in the Legislative Assembly recently was ambiguous. (With inputs from KNO)
