Srinagar, Nov 22: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the BJP’s obsession against the interests of Muslims is taking legal form, citing the recent UP government order banning halal-certified foods.
“The reason why JKNC is fighting for the restoration of Art 370 is that it doesn’t want a situation like Uttar Pradesh to come true in Jammu and Kashmir,” Omar said. “BJP is outrightly permitting discrimination against Muslims through laws, conflating vengeance with justice. It’s a matter of time that such a situation will come about in J&K if we don’t stop them and their cronies. Such laws coincide with the decline in democratic stands of our country, legally moving India away from the secular and pluralist moorings of its constitution.”
The NC leader said this while addressing a one-day workers’ convention at Beerwah. Cautioning people against BJP’s “divisive ideology”, Omar said that the UP government had brought a new law and according to this anyone involved with manufacturing, storage, and distribution of halal-certified products will be liable to punishment.
“Why are Muslims under BJP’s rule under direct line of fire? I want to ask those people who are overtly or covertly holding the BJP’s flag in Jammu and Kashmir, why don’t they raise their voices against it? What they are doing to the Muslims in UP, they will do the same to the Muslims here. So we are fighting to save Article 370 and to restore our statehood so that what is being done to the Muslims in UP is not repeated here,” he said.
The former J&K chief minister added, “The promises made by BJP to sell its decisions of Aug 05, 2019 have ringed hollow. All their claims turned out to be a bundle of lies. Thousands of vacancies remain unfilled. No concrete steps are being taken to adjust our educated youth, who are sitting at their homes. The fate of basic utility services is no better. The electricity crisis is far from over. Woes of people are deepening with each passing day by everyday diktats. The winter quota of firewood to mosques has also been decreased. Development and infrastructure projects are only present on paper, reality on the ground is contrary to claims. There is no accountability.”
Omar urged the party associates to work for strengthening the party at the grassroots saying, “If we want to save Jammu and Kashmir, we have to strengthen J&K National Conference at all costs. We will not allow a situation like UP to take place in Jammu and Kashmir.”
