Pulwama, May 08: National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday expressed his wishes for the victory of the INDIA alliance in the ongoing parliamentary elections.
Addressing a gathering of party supporters in a rally held at Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Abdullah said the NC is contesting the elections as an alliance partner within the INDIA block.
“May Allah help the INDIA alliance to win and form the government in New Delhi,” he prayed.
Farooq, however, issued a stern warning that the NC would withdraw its support if the alliance failed to restore the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “From this stage, we want to convey a message to them that if they don’t restore our rights we will dissociate from them and walk alone, he said.
The NC Chief emphasised the historical preference of the region for accession with secular India in 1947, citing the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, where all faiths are accorded equal rights.
He called for embracing the India of Baba Ambedkar which guarantees equal rights to people of all faiths and backgrounds. “We will not accept India which is being built on hatred and for people of one particular faith,” he said.
Abdullah lamented the current atmosphere of polarisation in the country, saying attempts are being made to spread fear among certain communities about losing their property and belongings.
He cautioned against voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), attributing failures in controlling inflation, especially in essential food items to the ruling party.
Reflecting on his own “struggles”, Dr Farooq recounted the “challenges” faced by the NC during the 1990s to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir amidst boycotts and terrorist threats.
Over the subsequent six years, he said the NC rebuilt the terror-affected region, reopened schools, reconstructed damaged infrastructure such as bridges and generated employment opportunities in the education and healthcare sectors.
