Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that his party National Conference (NC) was committed to its political agenda of seeking the restoration of internal autonomy, safeguarding Article 370 and the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from J&K.
Describing NC as the “bulwark of J&K’s political individuality and dignity”, Abdullah counseled the BJP to understand the history of J&K’s political struggle against autocracy, tyranny and suppression.
Addressing a series of election rallies in Noorabad and Homshalibug in south Kashmir Abdullah said that a slew of BJP leaders and RSS ideologues are bee-lining into J&K and announcing their plans to hold ‘closed-door’ meetings for their purported ‘Mission 44 plus’. In Jammu and ladakh, the BJP leaders speak of abrogating Article 370 while in Kashmir they are trying their best to be silent on Article 370.
“Another new slogan from the BJP is to change the name of J&K and in doing so they want to fragment our State by planting seeds of sub-regional animosity. While speaking about Article 370, the BJP leaders invariably and intentionally refer to provisions of the State Subject law. So it has become evident that BJP plans to fiddle with our State Subject law too if given an opportunity.
While on one hand the BJP says that Article 370 is not an election issue, their Home Minister the very same day says that Article 370 is allegedly a ‘national issue’. This effort to speak in multiple voices is deliberate and BJP has elaborate plans to harm our political individuality, special status and Article 370 under this smokescreen of confusion”, Abdullah was quoted by a party statement as saying in his public meetings.
He asked the BJP to acquaint itself and its leaders with the history of our political struggle against oppression, tyranny, monarchy and autocracy.
He said the NC would continue to strive for the revocation of AFSPA that has no place in a violence-free, modern and civilised society that has made a spirited recovery from a prolonged political turmoil.