Srinagar: National Conference President Farooq Abdullah Sunday said any attempt to harm Article 370 and Article 35-A would unarguably cast shadow on the fundamentals of the accession of the State with the Union of India.
Addressing a public gathering at Lawaypora in Batamalloo constituency, he said ensuing parliamentary polls provide an opportunity to keep such forces out of power as are inimical to the constitutional safe guards of our identity and integrity.
Farooq said the entire scheme of J&K’s accession would come under shadow if Article 370 and Article 35-A were fiddled with.
“Throughout the chequered history of our party, we have symbolized the unity and integrity of our State. NC has given immense sacrifices to protect the special constitutional disposition of our State within the Union of India. Now we are facing onslaughts from all sides, the RSS-BJP and their cronies in the State are trying their level best to do away with the Article 370, Article 35-A with a sole purpose to change the demography of our State, which is the only Muslim-majority state of India. However, the parliamentary elections afford us a chance to keep such forces out of power. We should avail this opportunity and not let this pass by us unutilized. The coming generations will never forgive us if we don’t show resoluteness in trouncing the machinations of communal forces that are bend to dissolve our unique identity,” he said.
The three-time chief minister while flaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi for squandering the precious mandate of people said, “Modi had promised to deliver on various issues concerning the nation during his 2014 election campaign but he has aggravated the problems to an extent that will take decades to solve. Modi government presents a tale of failures and misgovernment. People have now made it a point to give befitting reply to Modi for his failures and lies. ”
He said having been failed to deliver on key issues that India was facing, the Modi-led BJP government would create a war-like situation in the country to subvert the attention of people from the real issues affecting poor, farmers and the labour class.
While underscoring the importance of ensuing parliamentary polls, Farooq said, “Today it is an opportune movement to clean the country and the State from the communal yolk. Our fight is with the communal forces. This time you have to cast vote for securing India’s secular visage, and in particular the very identity and integrity of our State.”
He said no section of Indian society was happy with PM Modi.
“The farmers, the housewives, the youth; every one of them is feeling betrayed. The farm distress is at all time high. The mothers and sisters across India are finding it difficult to run their households. The situation is no different in Kashmir. The miseries our State is fraught with in terms of unemployment, underdevelopment and insecurity have soared up during the misrule of PM Modi. What good was achieved by Omar Abdullah led Government in terms of development and peacemaking was put into a chasm. However, it is never late, now that we have witnessed the misrule, corruption and nepotism of PDP-BJP with our eyes we should not let them come close to power corridors. Our vote will decide as to what should be the recourse of our state vis-à-vis development for next half a decade. Besides that a strong voice from Kashmir in parliament will ensure that our woes are brought before the country,” he said.
Farooq said Sheikh Abdullah had unremitting faith with which he kept going.
“My father always advised me to offer Nimaz. And I take this opportunity to recommend the same to our younger generation. Death is inevitable, we should not feel bogged down. We should show steadfastness in protecting our unique identity at any cost,” he said.
Expressing disgust over the treatment being meted out to L K Advani, Farooq said, “See for yourself what happens to those who differentiate between humans on the basis of faith.
Advani with his much-touted Rath Yatras used to polarize nation, now see what a life of disrepute he is living. This should act as an eye opener for those who spread the malady of communalism. Allah is watching us, we cannot hide. We should never leave the humanism. Our State presents a mosaic of cultures and no development is worthy if any community is left out from the scheme of development. NC believes inclusive development. Our vision espouses a developed J&K, where everyone lives by a dignified sustenance.”
Taking a jibe at Modi’s utter failure to deliver on the promises he made during the run up for 2014 elections, he said, “Today people are asking where the black money is. The entire slogan mongering by him turned out to be damp squib, everything turned out to be a Jhumla. If the lessons from last four years could be distilled into a single sentence, it would be: the Modi government has proved harmful for the nation’s secular visage. On every conceivable matrix it has failed and every single citizen whether a Hindu, Muslim and Sikh have to pay a heavy price for the Modi brand of mis-governance. The economy of our country which was booming pre-Modi era is now lumbering all credits to de-monetization and other ill-conceived measures of the Modi government.”
The NC President said Modi government had not left a legacy but a cautionary message for all times to come.
“Now we all have to make it a point to protect the secular disposition of India by sending those people to parliament which could take the country toward safer shores. This time we should send all NC candidates to parliament with resounding winning margins,” he said.
Farooq asked the people to strengthen his hands in fighting communal forces in India.
“I am sure that if we forge unity we won’t let the machinations of our enemies come true. The need of the hour calls for unity,” he said.
NC General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, Provincial President, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, District President Srinagar Peer Afaaq, Central Secretary Irfan shah and Youth National Conference Provincial President Salman Ali Sagar also addressed the gathering. Agencies
