Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) additional general secretary Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal Thursday asserted that the restoration of autonomy to Jammu & Kashmir would go a long way in sweeping the cobwebs of mistrust between the Centre and the state.
“Only NC can fight for protection of states identity andintegrity,” Dr Kamaal said in a statement.
He said, “Once in power the party will work for therestoration of autonomy to the state. The constitution of the countryaccommodates cultural diversity. The same constitution endows Jammu and Kashmirspecial status within the union of India. The autonomy resolution, which waspassed by the state legislature with majority, offers a way out from thepresent imbroglio. The resolution of autonomy didn’t come about on the spur ofoccasion; it was a consequence of state autonomy report. The report was draftedby elected representatives from across the state irrespective of their regionaland religious affiliations.”
“Jammu and Kashmir acceded with the union of India on theprinciples of secularism and democracy. The very idea of autonomy is notsomething new as the state enjoyed it prior to 1954,” Kamaal said, adding that”One day realization will eventually dawn on people in Delhi that the Autonomyis the only way forward.”
He said the party would continue to struggle for therestoration of autonomy.
He said, “People have lately come to know that PDP cannot betrusted with the task of safe guarding state’s special status. We saw how PDPchose to crawl when they were only told to stoop. We saw how they implementedNFSA, SARFAESI, and GST in the state. They took no time to do away with whatwas left of our remaining autonomy. Now it is up to people to show them thedoor.”