Newly elected MP and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to walk the extra mile to reach out to the people of Kashmir.

Abdullah was complimented for his victory in the Lok Sabha election at a function in the NC headquarters in Jammu when he reached there from Srinagar on Friday morning.

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He hoped that the Modi-led central government would do justice with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said rights of the people were needed to be protected and a sense of security instilled among them. Abdullah urged the Centre to expedite development, complete the rail project bring Kashmir on the railway map on an immediate basis and lay emphasis on dependable road communication. He expressed concern over frequent closures of the Jammu-Srinagar highway and said this aspect was required to be taken care of for the sake of smooth mobility.

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Abdullah flagged preservation of Article 35A and 370 of the Constitution besides grant of regional autonomy to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh as main plank of his party while exuding confidence that the NC would form next government in the state on its own.

“Gear up for assembly elections,” Farooq Abdullah told enthusiastic NC member. He declared that the party NC was well poised to register a massive victory in all three regions in the upcoming Assembly elections and assured that after formation of the government with absolute majority, it would work towards fulfilling the regional aspirations of the people by granting regional autonomy under the superintendence of the state government.

He said no section of the society should nurture a feeling of deprivation. This, he said, was in consonance with the policies and programmes of his party which had “all along strived for equal opportunities to every segment of the society and all the three regions”. He solicited the support of the people in this effort and emphasised the need for strengthening bonds between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists.

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“Our agenda is to foster amity and bridge the gap between various sections of the society,” he said, adding that pluralistic ethos and inclusiveness was the greatest strength of the state. He also pledged that his party would work towards dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homes and hearths in the Valley.

He said restoration of peace was a pre-requisite.

Farooq Abdullah said his party believed in healthy political discourse. “We have to maintain and promote decency in politics,” he said and lauded the cadre for keeping away from reactionary politics.

He said India belonged to all and this spirit had to be promoted and strengthened at all costs.

Congratulating Abdullah on the victory of National Conference in the parliamentary elections, Provincial President Devender Singh Rana said this reinforced people’s faith in his and Omar Abdullah’s leadership.

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