National Conference vice president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday visited militancy-hit Shopian in south Kashmir and said they are contesting the Lok Sabha polls not for development but for safeguarding the Article 370 and 35A.
While addressing party workers at Circuit House Shopian, Omar said this year’s election is different from earlier elections in which developmental issues like construction of roads, providing of electricity and portable water were the main agenda.
“In the election, less focus is on these issues because BJP, which has no major role in Kashmir, has changed the agenda for us. In every rally and speech they repeatedly threaten to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A,” he said.
“Be it BJP president Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi or their other leaders, they all are threatening people of Kashmir in their speeches with abrogation of special status of the state,” he said.
Omar said the threats bother him because Articles 370 and 35A are concerned with identity and future of Kashmir.
“Whatever the state achieved so far was by virtue of the existence of these Articles. The land reforms, which were carried out by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, were seen only in the state because we had a state subject law which was later changed to article 35A,”he said adding if the state subject laws are repealed it would again turn Kashmiris into tillers and people from outside the state would be the masters of the land.
Omar warned that any attack on the Articles 370 and 35A would reverse back the situation to pre-1947 era.
“This election is fight for safeguarding Articles 370 and 35A. We have been fighting this battle in Assembly, on streets, in court and now we have to fight it in parliament,” he said and urged people to vote for NC’s Hasnain Masoodi.
Omar also reiterated to repeal PSA if NC was voted to power in the state.
“I have taken an undertaking that once in power, my government will bid good bye to PSA. We will make amends to the wrong committed by former BJP-PDP regime. The party is privy to the problem of impending KCC loans; we will find means and ways to bring respite to the people in that direction also,” he said.
Flaying PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for shedding crocodile tears on miseries of people, Omar said, “The election time crocodile tears are political tears whose veracity is under question. Had PDP president and ex-CM shed tears when our youth were devoured upon in 2016, it would have had any impact.
One may inquire from her as to where she was her concern for people when the people of Kashmir were subjected to worst of human rights violations, killings, blinding and much more.
It was during her tenure that people were used as human shield; where her sympathy and empathy was for those who were blinded, bruised during her tenure. People are the good judge of character of PDP and its stint in power.” (RK)
