Former chief minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Thursday said his party, if elected with majority in the upcoming state assembly elections, will repeal the controversial Public Safety Act.
“Give NC a chance to win upcoming elections in majority so that black laws are completely removed. I assure you that the day NC forms the government on its own, within days I will repeal PSA. I am telling you (workers) that I will blot it out from the papers forever,” Omar said, addressing party office-bearers from Pulwama district here.
“I know AFSPA cannot be removed without taking Union government into consideration but what about state laws, why we can’t we revoke them?” the NC president asked at Mujahid Manzil here.
“Why would our youth be arrested under PSA? Why parents have to suffer when their children are being lodged for months. Governments are meant to heal the wounds of people and to provide relief to them,” Omar added.
Pitching for one-party rule in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said many issues could not be resolved because the state had many “handicapped” governments in the form of coalitions.
“We have seen enough of handicapped governments where we remain at the mercy of someone. Late Mufti (Muhammad Sayeed) was there (CM) courtesy (Ghulam Nabi) Azad and Azad was CM thanks to Mufti. And I remained in power for six years because of Congress support,” Omar said.
On the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said he doesn’t expect much from it.
“His visit may be an election campaign because elections are very near. During the past four years we were expecting that his government will initiate dialogue process but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Now when fresh elections are near there are no hopes,” he said.
Omar also said the BJP-PDP alliance made big promises and is now claiming that they have failed to deliver on the promises.
The National Conference leader attacked former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s praise for Modi in the past.
During 2016, Mehbooba herself admitted that she met Modi to save her party.
“If she has managed to save her party, then she has destroyed Kashmir also. Now the situation is so bad that every day we are mourning. We see CASOs, deaths, injuries, young boys becoming militants. The joint alliances have brought the gloomy situation in the Valley,” he said, adding the previous government proudly used to say they have killed 200-250 militants, but “were they not our own people?”
“The PDP, during its rule with BJP, used to say they will bring back power projects but they handed over all the power projects to the Centre,” Omar said.
The NC leader castigated Mehbooba Mufti for visiting the families of militants.
“I would have called her a brave leader if Mehbooba had visited militants’ families when she was the CM. Now when she is out of power she is shedding crocodile tears to offer fake sympathy to militants’ families.”
“Everyone remembers her milk and toffee remark during 2016 unrest.”
“During 2016 agitation, same Mehbooba accused people of attacking camps and even said the guns are not meant to show but to use. Now the same person is shedding tears,” Omar said.