National Conference (NC) President Dr Farooq Abdullah while addressing election rallies at Teetwal and Tangdhar along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara said that the ongoing Lok Sabha election is an opportunity for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to express their disapproval of abrogation of Article 370.

Dr Abdullah was addressing the rallies in support of his son Omar Abdullah who is contesting the election from Baramulla.

Addressing another rally at Shangus in south Kashmir in support of  NC candidate Mian Altaf on Wednesday, Dr. Abdullah said “BJP has always played communal card to get votes and that is why we don’t see any harmony in the country”.

He said, “These Lok Sabha elections are the first major polls to be held here after 5 August 2019 when the Article 370 was abrogated by the BJP government and it is a great opportunity for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to express their displeasure against the decisions of the central government. Therefore, it is important that we use our right to vote wisely and convey the message to the country as well as the whole world that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have not accepted the decisions of 5 August 2019. Apart from this, people have also got an opportunity to reject those parties and self-styled leaders who brought BJP here in 2015 and destroyed this historic state and caused suffering, difficulties and problems to the people of every section.” 

He was perhaps referring to the PDP that formed a coalition government with BJP. His reference was also towards the Peoples Conference of Sajad Lone who is also a candidate, Apni Party of Altaf Bukhari and DPAP of Ghulam Nabi Azad, whom the NC, PDP and Congress accuse of being the ‘B-teams of BJP’.

Jammu and Kashmir has had no democracy over the last five years and the absence of an elected government has deprived people of their daily necessities as major institutions stand paralysed, Dr Abdullah said.

He said that with the conclusion of the parliamentary elections, the assembly election is going to be held and we have to prepare for this election from today. Dr Abdullah said, ”The National Conference wishes for complete peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir and our party will continue to fight for restoration of constitutional and democratic rights of the people here.” He said that ending uncertainty and anxiety in Jammu and Kashmir was the most important need of the hour.

He said that those who brought guns and killed the innocent people here and went and sat in the lap of RSS, how can they be sympathetic to the people. He said that the NC will work for restoration and development of peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir and will take the lead for the relief of the people at all levels. Serving the people in all circumstances has been the basic principle of the National Conference and the party adheres to its golden principles, he stressed.