National Conference President, Farooq Abdullah on Monday said the party has not backtracked from “Gupkar Declaration” and reiterated that a concrete strategy will be chalked out once mainstream leaders were released from jail.
Abdullah said the party’s stand over Article 370 and 35A has not changed. “There is no change in it. Party stands on Gupkar Declaration,” he said.
He said the Centre has “unconstitutionally snatched the special status of J&K” and urged for immediate repeal of decisions taken on 5 August 2019.
“New Delhi snatched special status of J&K, unconstitutionally, but we will bring it back with a constitutional fight,” Abdullah said.
He said the tall claims of development in J&K post-abrogation of Article 370 were a “prank” which New Delhi was using to “hoodwink its countrymen.”
He also the delimitation announced by the Centre was “absolute wrong exercise and an attempt to change the demographic character of J&K which will be resisted tooth and nail.”
“NC will resist delimitation process sternly as it is purely aimed to change the demographic character of J&K,” h e said. To a question why the party has maintained silence after August 5, Abdullah said National Conference has not changed its stand on the core issue. “We will draft future course of action once leaders in prison will walk out,” he said.