Excelsior Correspondent
BANIHAL, Nov 11: Attributing his party’s birth and existence to the public, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the agenda of National Conference (NC) was holistic, inclusive and youth-centric.
“We are not the baby of any agency, nor the creation of any outside sponsor. We owe our existence and power to common masses of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and we only bank upon public support,” Omar said, addressing rallies at Ukhral, Khari and Neel in Banihal Assembly constituency in favour of its candidate Sajjad Shaheen.
Reminding people of great sacrifices of NC and its stalwarts to safeguard the interests of the State and to ensure empowerment of people, Omar, who is also NC working president, said that NC’s birth in the State has been as a public movement rather than a party, and its political agenda is holistic, inclusive and youth-centric.
He noted that old enemies of NC along with their associates have gathered in new form under one umbrella to break NC’s public base by resorting to falsehood and baseless propaganda, and appealed to the voters to “teach them a lesson once again as you did in 1977”.
He hinted at the formation of PDP by Jagmohan and others to damage the local base of National Conference and added that PDP has become a new camping ground for all those elements who bear acrimony against NC to harm it.
“They have no agenda for public good or the betterment of the State. They have joined hands only to put hurdles in the forward movement of National Conference to seek permanent peace and youth welfare in the State,” he said.
Omar said these elements have neither in the past deterred National Conference nor at present will be able to do so as people fully recognise them as a spent force by various sponsors in the political fields during different periods. He mentioned measures taken by his Government to empower people and make them partners in decision making and implementation of development and welfare schemes while seeking votes for his party candidate.
Omar said that times bear testimony that NC never compromised its political agenda and high values of secular democratic ethos.
“We have braved the brunt of highhandedness, animosity and false propaganda. Our leaders and workers were made to suffer severely. Atrocities of all kinds were let loose on our workers and leaders in different periods but nobody could shatter our firm faith in our political agenda”, he said.
“Teach them a lesson once again as you did in 1977 when they were in another disguise to tarnish your unity and strength. They camouflage with different situations to give illusion of being your friends but their vengeance, hostility and animosity against National Conference and its political agenda comes to fore by their own actions and omissions”, he urged the electorates.
Omar urged the people to exhibit their firm faith in National Conference and its political agenda and come forward in large numbers to vote for its candidates to give the party clear majority in the State Legislature and contribute positively in realizing the goal of ‘Naya Kashmir’, envisioned by National Conference for the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
The Chief Minister mentioned the historic measures taken by his Government to empower people and make them partners in the decision making and implementation of development and welfare schemes. He referred to the path braking steps taken by his Government and innovative legislations enacted during the last six years to legally empower the people to scan the Government functioning at any level.
Speaking on the occasion, NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana castigated divisive forces and said that solidarity of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is the corner stone of National Conference’s political agenda. He said NC will always work for the inclusive and equitable development of all areas of the State.
Rana said that public support has been the fountain head of National Conference and its strength is deep rooted in all the regions and sub-regions of the State. He said the popularity of National Conference and its leadership is for its truthfulness, state-forwardness, public commitment and firm political and development agenda. He said National Conference stands for the unity, amity, solidarity and brotherhood of Jammu and Kashmir.
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