Srinagar- National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Monday said boycotting the panchayat polls in 2018 was “a huge mistake” and the party must contest every future election in Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah also warned the government and the security forces not to interfere in any election process.
“I want to tell the party that boycotting the panchayat elections (in 2018) was a huge mistake. Remember this, we will not boycott any coming election. Instead (we will) contest and win them,” Abdullah said while addressing the party’s delegate session where he was re-elected unopposed as National Conference (NC) president.
Referring to his son Omar Abdullah’s announcement that he would not contest elections as long as Jammu and Kashmir remained a Union Territory, the senior Abdullah said, “As party president, I am telling you (Omar Abdullah) that you have to contest the election.”
“Because if we have to fight them, then we all have to jump into the fray and contest elections,” he added.
The former Union minister said the BJP “will do anything, even make attempts to buy your loyalties, but God will fail all their designs”.
Abdullah also warned the security forces and the government not to interfere in the elections in Jammu and Kashmir and said “let people decide whom to vote for”.
“Otherwise there will be such a storm, which you will not be able to control,” he said.
Abdullah also threatened to launch an agitation in case such a thing occurred.
“We will be ready to sacrifice our lives. Farooq Abdullah will be the first to start an agitation over it,” he said.
NC For Early Assembly Polls
Meanwhile the National Conference on Monday called for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the restoration of statehood to the Union territory and provisions of Articles 370 and 35-A.
The demands were the key features of a resolution passed by the party at a delegates’ session held to elect the party president at the mausoleum of National Conference founder Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah on his 117th birth anniversary.
According to the resolution, the assembly elections have not been announced for Jammu and Kashmir even though the delimitation process has been completed.
“It was promised by the country’s Home Minister that the much-awaited assembly elections will be held after the delimitation process is over. Now that the process is complete and the final updated voter list is out, still there is no announcement for assembly elections,” it said.
“Considering the political situation in J&K, this delegate session resolves that Articles 370, 35-A be restored to their original, undiluted form,” the resolution reads.
It also demanded that the Centre should restore full statehood to J and K and announce the assembly election dates at the earliest.
“We urge the people of India to rise to the occasion and ask the BJP-led central government to remove injustices in J and K,” it added.
The other major demands of the party in the resolution included return of THE NHPC-owned power projects to Jammu and Kashmir and repatriation of prisoners from outside the union territory to jails within Jammu and Kashmir.
“JKNC is committed towards the upliftment and development of every weaker section of the society and welcome the steps taken for conferment of ST Status in favour of Paharis of Jammu and Kashmir. As assured, ST status already conferred in favour of Gujjars and Bakarwals shall not be diluted is also a welcome step,” it added.
The National Conference also passed two other resolutions on press freedom and condition of economy in Jammu and Kashmir.
The party demanded that the media should be provided a free environment to operate and there should be no undue interference from any quarter.
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