Jammu, May 17 (PTI) Seeking people’s support to strengthen the National Conference, its vice-president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday batted strongly for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and statehood.
He claimed that no one in Jammu and Kashmir was satisfied with the BJP-led Union government abrogating the Article 370 provisions and bifurcating the erstwhile state into two union territories.
What has changed in Jammu and Kashmir since August 2019, Abdullah asked.
“If we have to get everything back, we have to forget everything (about the past). We have to come on one stage and pull only one rope. Only then, can we bring back Jammu and Kashmir from the quagmire,” he said at a public meeting in Rajouri district’s Thanamandi.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also visited the shrine of Shahdara Sharief in Thanamandi and paid his obeisance.
“Our mission will be to have a happy and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir where we all will be equal stakeholders in peace, progress and brotherhood,” he said.
“In 2010, when I was the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, the situation was very bad. Despite several measures, we could not bring back peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I visited this shrine and prayed for the end of bloodshed and the restoration of the peace. After a few days, the situation started improving and finally peace and normalcy were fully restored in Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said.
Omar hoped that his prayers will be heard again.
“Today, I have paid obeisance here. We are passing through a difficult phase. I and my colleagues have prayed from the core of our hearts, not for us but for Jammu and Kashmir. We will come out of this difficult period,” he said.
” If we (people of Jammu and Kashmir) are going through in difficult period, it is because this flag (of NC) has weakened. We are also to be blamed for it,” the NC leader said and sought people’s support to strengthen the party and change the destiny of the region.
Hitting out at the BJP, Abdullah alleged that its mission was to divide the people so that they keep fighting among themselves.
Asserting that nobody is happy with the abrogation of Article 370, he told the gathering, “I have been visiting all the areas in Jammu and Kashmir for the last few months to listen to you all.” “I wanted to see the situation at the grass-root level and get feedback. I could hardly find anyone who is satisfied. Everybody is disturbed.” “Today people from outside come and get jobs and contracts. Where are those factories, hospitals and schools, roads and clean drinking water that were promised? Where is the power supply? They provide us with one hour of electricity and keep us in dark for five hours. They told us in 2019 that Article 370 is a major hurdle. There will progress after its revocation. Where is the development and progress,” Abdullah posed. PTI AB AB NSD NSD
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