Will withdraw all cases against youth booked for stone-pelting: Omar

National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Saturday said that his party will withdraw all cases registered against stone-throwing street protesters if the party is voted to power in the Assembly elections.

“I have already stated in some of the rallies in northernKashmir that our party will withdraw all cases against the youth charged instone throwing cases if we are elected to power,” Omar said.

   

Omar was speaking to media persons after addressing NCworkers at Dak Bungalow Khanabal, where he campaigned for party’s candidate forAnantnag parliamentary seat, Hassnain Masoodi.

Omar reiterated that the NC government will also revoke thecontroversial Public Safety Act (PSA).

On allegations levelled by People’s Conference chief SajadGani Lone about his meeting in New Delhi with BJP president Amit Shah after theresults of  2014 assembly elections,wherein he had pledged support to the right-wing party, Omar said, “Nocomments.”

Omar also claimed that his party will emerge victorious onthe Baramulla parliamentary seat by a huge margin and were hoping to repeat theperformance in the other two seats of the Valley.

“I will appeal people in the south to come out and vote asthis boycott won’t favour NC,” he said.

Omar also lashed out at Mehbooba Mufti for her anti-BJPrhetoric, saying she did not find a fault with the party when was in alliancewith them.

“Was everything hunky-dory then? Weren’t Muslims outsidelynched and roasted to death when she was in alliance with them? Weren’tKashmiri youth studying outside harassed then and was not it only during herstint as CM that it was decided that youth with stones in their hands will betreated as militants,” Omar asked.

He said, had she (Mehbooba) left the chair then, he wouldhave been all praise for her.

“However, she would then gift shawl and bouquets to the sameAmit Shah against whom she has launched tirade these days. She did not kick outthe chair but was rather thrown out,” Omar said.

Reminding PDP of the support his party had offered after the2014 assembly election results, he challenged Mehboba to point out even asingle thing in PDP-BJP’s Agenda of Alliance that was implemented.

“Our party and Congress offered unconditional support to PDP, requesting them that BJPs entry into Muslim majority J&K will have dangerous repercussions. We even made it clear that we do not need ministerial berth, MLC or Rajya Sabha berths.

But Mufti Muhamad Sayeed did not listen to us arguing that he has to get funds from the center, relief for flood victims, get power projects back from New Delhi and facilitate talks with Hurriyat and Pakistan. All these were demands were later drafted in AOA. Today I challenge Mehbooba to show me one thing in the AOA that was implemented. Was AFSPA revoked, were footprints of army reduced and were talks initiated with Pak or Hurriyat?”  Omar said.    

In fact, he said, harassment, crackdown became routine inher tenure as CM and even religious leaders were not spared.

“NIA was used to harass and intimidate the separatists.Mirwaiz Umar Farooq sahib was interrogated by the agency for three days. Inwhose tenure was the case registered against him in 2017. I was not CM then,neither was Farooq sahib or Azad Sahib. It was you (Mehbooba). Why did not youraise a hue and cry then?” Omar said.

Omar also questioned the wisdom of the people of Anantnagassembly segment for electing her in 2016 following the demise of her father.

“People of Anantnag assembly constituency committed ablunder by electing Mehbooba Mufti in June 2016. You were hoping she wouldalleviate poverty, bring peace and development and work for marginalized. Butit proved detrimental to the people of the state and we are still suffering itsrepercussions,” he said.

“On June 25 she became MLA and on July 8 the valley eruptedfollowing the killing of Burhan Wani and then came toffee-milk remarks whenthis representative from Anantnag was asked about the killings and blinding ofchildren”.

Terming NC candidate for Anantnag seat, Hassnain Masoodi – aretired High Court judge – as the best bet, Omar said only he would be able tofight the conspiracies being hatched against eroding the special status ofJ&K, both in Lok Sabha and in the Supreme Court.

“Whenever NC has been out of power in J&K, conspiracieswere launched to erode the special status of J&K. Today same thing is beingrepeated and attempts are being made to abrogate Article 370 and 35A.  In those trying circumstances only representativeslike Masoodi sahib can foil those nefarious designs,” Omar said.

“Masoodi sahib’s legal acumen and some of the judgments hegave on Article 370 have been praised by everyone. Even I seek suggestions fromhim when I have to issue statements on these pretentious issues. In thosetrying circumstances only representatives like Masoodi Sahib can fight thoseconspiracies. And not those who when given chance to speak in Parliament willtry to save their skin, by saying Mein Kya Bolun,” he said, apparentlyreferring to PDP chief’s remarks in the Lok Sabha during her stint as MP.

On the occasion, Masoodi termed the PDP- BJPs rule as themost repressive regime and blamed it for neglecting southern districts ofKashmir.

He assured he would work on a comprehensive development andtourism packages for south Kashmir and propose a Law University in Anantnag.

Senior NC leader and provincial president Nasir Aslam Wanialso addressed the workers and hoped that south Kashmir would also again turnbastion of the party.

“I hope South Kashmir will once again be a stronghold of NCas it was before 2002,” Wani said.

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