Srinagar: National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah Wednesday said that the people of J&K cannot be subdued by the strong-armed measures and called for a magnanimous reach-out to the people to address the issues concerning them.
Addressing a workers convention at Banihal, Abdullah said that the purpose of the NC was to uplift downtrodden Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians so that they could live with respect and self esteem.
He warned party workers not to fall prey to the communal agenda saying that his enemies were hatching conspiracy against his party but would never succeed.
The three-time chief minister said that before the nullification of Article 370 and Article 35-A, the government had claimed to bring peace but that existed nowhere on ground as the situation in Kashmir had deteriorated.
He said inflation and unemployment were on a rise due to which miseries of the people had increased manifold. Abdullah stressed on the party workers to strengthen the party at the grass root level. He said that the government had failed to empower and provide facilities like accommodation to the elected village representatives.
The NC chief, who is Member of Parliament from Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency, said he would raise this issue in the upcoming session of the parliament.
He also condemned the recent spate of civilian killings in Kashmir and appealed to the party workers and people to maintain peace and brotherhood in J&K for the development of the country.
NC General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar; Provincial President, Jammu, Rattan Lal Gupta and NC District President Ramban Sajjad Shaheen also addressed the gathering.