Srinagar: National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said that two units of the party having submitted separate memorandums to the Delimitation Commission was because “issues pertaining to Jammu are different as compared to those in Kashmir”.
Abdullah was speaking to reporters after paying floral tributes to his mother Begum Akbar Jehan at her mausoleum on the occasion of her 21st death anniversary.
“Jammu has separate issues, while Kashmir has separate issues. Why are you worried?” the NC president told reporters when asked about the criticism by some quarters that the party’s proposal to the Commission in Jammu echoed the BJP demands “in framing a new criterion to delimit constituencies”.
Dr Farooq’s comments came in the wake of criticism that the National Conference’s proposals to the Delimitation Commission in Jammu were “similar to BJP’s demands”, while as the memorandum presented in Kashmir asked for delimitation based only on population.
Abdullah said the “different issues” projected by the party’s Jammu unit “should not worry the people”. Earlier, Abdullah along with his son and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah and other senior leaders of the party paid floral tributes at the mausoleum of Begam Akbar Jehan, wife of NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah.
The NC leaders also offered special prayers there.