Srinagar: National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah pledged on Monday to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, even if it takes two decades.
Speaking in Pattan, Baramulla district, Abdullah said, “It may take time, but we will bring back Article 370. It took years for the BJP to revoke it; perhaps it will take us time to restore it, even if it takes 20 years.”
Abdullah was present as NC’s Riyaz Bedar filed his nomination papers in Pattan. Responding to Union Minister Amit Shah’s comments that NC and PDP are merely dreaming about Article 370’s reinstatement, Abdullah countered by pointing out that the BJP has ruled Jammu and Kashmir for five years, questioning why militancy persists if the abrogation was supposed to end it.
Addressing the 1999 Kandahar hijacking, Abdullah reiterated that he had advised the government of India to negotiate with the militants, which was ignored. He criticised the subsequent release of Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Masood Azhar, who he says now continues to foster militancy.
On Mehbooba Mufti’s comment about PDP ending NC’s “autocratic rule,” Abdullah expressed regret for her remarks, questioning why her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, left Congress to form PDP after decades with the party.
Confident of success in the upcoming elections, Abdullah asserted that the NC-Congress alliance remains strong, regardless of criticisms from former J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani. In Pattan, Abdullah said the party enjoys solid support and has strong candidates.
Riyaz Bedar, NC’s candidate for Pattan, vowed to prioritise local development, healthcare, and youth employment if elected. He emphasised that the well-being of the constituency’s people would be his primary focus.
