National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Monday dared Prime Minister NarendraModi and BJP president Amit Shah to remove the special constitutional status of J&K, saying the people of the state would not let them do so.
Addressing party workers in Handwara, Omar said BJPmanifesto says they will scrap Articles 370 and 35A, but NC “will never allowanyone to attack our special status”.
He said decisions like banning civilian traffic for two dayson the highway will only make the people angrier.
“BJP has started to suppress the voices of people and usingthreats. Instead of saying they will fight militancy they should have said theywill try to improve the situation so that no one will join the militancy infuture,” Omar said and added that the BJP “would like the situation to worsenfor electoral gains in other states”.
Hitting out at Peoples Conference chairman and former BJPally Sajad Lone, Omar said none “else than Sajad Lone tried to form a governmentwith BJP” when NC, Congress and PDP staked the claim and pitched AltafBukharias chief ministerial candidate.
“The decision to form a grand alliance was not easy but wedid it to safeguard our state and the special status. It was like drinkingpoison and we were ready for it,” he said.
“Sajad Lone staked his claim on the basis of BJP’s strengthin the Assembly. Had PC formed the government, the BJP would have sought PC’ssupport in Parliament on various issues,” Omar said, asking “how can we trustsuch a party (PC)?”
He said that by 2014 “we were successful” in restoringpeace, a sense of security among the people, and even in bringing back the menwho had gone across the border for arms training.
“But Modi government put all our good work down the drain.BJP brought the state on the brink of destruction by unrelenting arrests andintimidation. And today even our highways have been snatched from us,” he said
Omar said, “If Sajad Lone claims Modi to be his elderbrother why didn’t he ask his elder brother to stop unleashing miseries on thepeople of Kashmir.”
Omar said J&K had acceded to India on certainconditions.
“How can they claim that they will scrap the special status?They cannot scrap it,” said Omar, adding “friendships with those who havealways done deals on Kashmir will not yield you anything”.
“Not only the people of Kashmir, but people of Jammu andLadakh divisions also do not want the abrogation of the special status. I knowthis is truth,” he said.
Addressing the people, Omar said, “Would you support the people who want to strengthen the hands of those who want to build a temple on a masjid, who want to abrogate the special status? You are free to do so. Go and vote for the Apple symbol (Lone’s party symbol) and your vote will be in the hands of Modi.
Remember the days of 2014 and compare them with this era and see the difference. From the day Modi came into power, devastation started in this state,” he said.
“Today here in Handwara I ask Sajad Lone to promise thepeople that he will not enter into an alliance with BJP,” Omar said.