Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 27: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that his party won’t shake hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unless and until it changes its policy towards Jammu and Kashmir and on other issues.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an election rally in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, Omar said that his party won’t shake hands with BJP unless and until they promise resolution of Jammu and Kashmir issue peacefully through dialogue.
Chief Minister said that it is out of question to support BJP unless and until it accepts Jammu and Kashmir’s flag, Article 370 and resolves Ramjanambohmi Babri Masjid issue and gives up Common Civil Code issue.
Omar said that his Government’s sustained campaign for the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) forced Army and Central Government for fast track inquiry into Budgam killings and lifer to Army personnel found guilty in Macchil fake encounter case.
Omar charged BJP of double speak on Article 370. “BJP has double speak on Article 370. In Jammu they say one thing and in Kashmir the other. In Jammu they say, we will abrogate Article 370 and in Srinagar they talk of resorting to arms if the article is abrogated”, he said.
Chief Minister said that he fails to understand how BJP speaks differently on the issue of AFSPA and Article 370 in three regions of the State. “On AFSPA they say in Srinagar that it is for the benefit of the people and I fail to understand how it is beneficial for the people. BJP’s biggest problem is that the party talk differently in three regions. In Ladakh they talk of Union Territory, in Kashmir they talk of saving Article 370 and in Jammu they talk of abrogation of Article 370. This is BJP’s contradiction”, he said.
Earlier in his address to the election rallies at Noorabad and Homeshalibug in Kulgam district of South Kashmir, Omar said that his party is the bulwark of State’s political individuality and dignity. He asked the BJP to try to acquaint itself with the glorious history of State’s political struggle against autocracy, tyranny and suppression.
Chief Minister said that the NC is committed to its political agenda of seeking the restoration of internal autonomy, safeguarding Article 370 and the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from J&K.
“A slew of BJP leaders and RSS ideologues are bee lining into J&K and announcing their plans to hold closed-door meetings for their purported Mission 44 plus”, said Omar.
Chief Minister also spoke about NC’s “relentless struggle” to get AFSPA removed from the State. He said that his party would continue to strive for the revocation of an Act that has no place in a violence-free, modern and civilized society that has made a spirited recovery from a prolonged political turmoil.
“We don’t treat the Kashmir issue as a matter of electioneering or politicking like our opponents do. We have always – both in opposition and while in power – advocated the acceptable resolution of the Kashmir issue according to the aspirations of our people and we will continue to do that as much as BJP turns down our political demands”, Omar said.
Chief Minister said that he has never and will never seek votes for the resolution of the Kashmir issue but will rather continue to strive for it on a sustained basis irrespective of electoral politics. “We have delivered a historic, transparent and landmark tenure of good-governance, employment generation, fiscal growth and infrastructure creation in a State that had been ravaged by political instability and uncertainty”, he said.
He said that the high turnout in the first phase of elections is very encouraging and indicated that the people of the State would not be bystanders while plans would be hatched to dis-empower and bypass them in choosing their representatives.
“I am certain that the turnout will be even more in the remaining phases of this election and I have no doubt in my mind that the State has decided to put all its support behind NC yet again at a crucial juncture in our history. We assure you that we will prize, value and work for the trust you are investing in us and stand between political marauders and the political individuality and status of Jammu and Kashmir”, Chief Minister said.
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