Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said his party was committed to the agenda of restoration of internal autonomy, safeguarding Article 370 and revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the state.
"National Conference (NC) was committed to its agenda of seeking restoration of internal autonomy, safeguarding Article 370 and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from J&K," Omar said while addressing election rallies in south Kashmir.
The NC working president said his party was the bulwarks of J&K's political individuality and dignity and that BJP should try to acquaint itself with the glorious history of state's political struggle against autocracy, tyranny and suppression.
"A slew of BJP leaders and RSS ideologues were making a beeline into J&K, announcing their plans to hold 'closed-door' meetings for their purported 'Mission 44 plus'. In Jammu and Ladakh, BJP leaders speak of abrogating Article 370 while in Kashmir they were trying their best to be silent on the issue," he said.
Omar alleged that the BJP wanted to fragment the state by planting seeds of sub-regional animosity for which they have a new slogan to change the name of J&K .
"While speaking about Article 370, BJP leaders invariably and intentionally refer to provisions of the State Subject Law. So, it has become evident that BJP plans to fiddle with our State Subject Law too if given an opportunity.
"On one hand BJP says that Article 370 was not an election issue, their Home Minister the very same day says that Article 370 was allegedly a 'national issue'. This effort to speak in multiple voices was deliberate and BJP has elaborate plans to harm our political individuality, special status and Article 370 under this smokescreen of confusion," he added.
The Chief Minister said his party would continue to strive
for revocation of AFSPA that has no place in a violence-free, modern and civilised society which has made a spirited recovery from a prolonged political turmoil.
"We don't treat Kashmir issue as an electioneering matter 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. We will continue to do that as much as BJP turns down our political demands," he said.
The NC working president said his party has never, and will never, ask for 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.
"We never ran away from our responsibilities even when circumstances were extremely volatile. It is very easy to build up on an excuse and run away from one's responsibilities and it is quite another thing to stick to your mission despite all odds," he added.
