Abdullahs up ante on abrogation of Article 370

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) MP Farooq Abdullah and son Omar Abdullah have up the ante on abrogation and restoration of Article 370. While senior Abdullah linked return of normalcy in Jammu & Kashmir with the restoration of the Article, Omar said BJP took advantage of the weakness of the National Conference to scrap the special status granted the erstwhile state.

Addressing a party gathering in Chatroo area of Inderwal in Jammu province, Omar said the BJP-led central government was able to abrogate Article 370 after his party was rendered weak in the 2014 elections with PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Syed declining his offer of unconditional support and stitching an alliance with those who do not have “good intentions” towards Jammu and Kashmir.

Omar asked the people to support the National Conference and make it further strong to help reverse the changes which were “forced on the people of Jammu and Kashmir” on August 5, 2019.

In a reference to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s statement that his administration is working for the welfare of all the people of the union territory, and not just a select few, Omar said, “I do not see it happening. What we see is that this government is only for the benefit of BJP and a few leaders of some Kashmir-based parties.”

“We have started a fight for Jammu and Kashmir and its people following the changes which were forced on us – the changes which were possible because the National Conference was weak. If we would not have lost the (assembly) seats in 2014 elections and formed the government, neither would they have removed Article 370 or Article 35A nor taken away land transferred to the people under Roshni Act or given jobs and contractors to outsiders,” the former chief minister said.

He said the BJP-led central government took advantage of the “weak position” of the NC and snatched what was given to the people of J&K by the Constitution.

Targeting the Centre, he said all its claims that the revocation of the Article 370 will bring peace; development, investment; jobs and end militancy have proved false. “Just tell me one thing what you have achieved in the past nearly two and a half years,” he asked.

In New Delhi, Farooq Abdullah said that Article 370 of the Constitution of India, which was abrogated in August 2019, has to be reinstated, to bring back normalcy in the Union Territory.

“If normalcy is to be brought in Kashmir, then Article 370 has to be reinstated,” said the former Chief Minister of the Union Territory, while speaking to media persons in Delhi.

In August 2019, the Central government scrapped Article 370 which gave special rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two categories- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.