SRINAGAR: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said that his party will continue to wait for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
“We are waiting for its restoration and we will continue to wait,” Abdullah told reporters, hinting that the government and ruling party won’t follow an agitational path with the Centre on restoration of statehood.
Asked about the delay in restoration of statehood, the three-time former CM said, “You should ask it to those who are delaying its restoration.” The restoration of statehood was a key poll agenda of the NC. In its first cabinet meeting on October 19, the Omar Abdullah government had passed a resolution calling for restoration of statehood to J&K in its original form.
NC MLA Salman Ali Sagar, who is close to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, had a few days back said that there was no need for confrontation with the Centre on statehood. “The efforts being made by the Omar government will be productive and result-oriented. The government is doing its efforts in a best manner to get the statehood back,” he said.
After the cabinet move, Omar had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, among others, and handed them copies of the resolution, demanding early restoration of statehood. “The government has firm belief that the Centre will respect people’s mandate regarding restoration of statehood and other pressing issues,” Salman said.
On the issue of Article 370, the NC president, who recently was quoted having said that it was for Dogras, emphasised that the Article was for the protection of the erstwhile state and its people.