Will continue to knock SC’s door for restoration of Article 370 in J&K: Farooq Abdullah

Rajouri/Jammu, Sep 23 (PTI) National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said they will continue to knock at the Supreme Court’s door for the restoration of Article 370 as “it is linked with the honour of the people” of Jammu and Kashmir.

The former chief minister said the “frequent” terror attacks, especially in the peaceful Jammu region, contradicts the BJP-led government’s claim terrorism “finished” with the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an election rally in Budhal in support of party candidate Choudhary Javid, who is pitted against former minister and BJP candidate Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, Abdullah expressed confidence in his party forming the government with its coalition partner Congress after the elections.

Responding to a question on the BJP’s clear message that Article 370 has become history and nobody is going to restore it, Abdullah said they will knock the door of the Supreme Court till the constitutional provision is restored in the Union Territory.

“It (restoration of Article 370) is a legal battle because two earlier SC judgments by three-judge benches have made it clear that it is permanent and not a temporary provision. We will go to the top court again and again till we get it back. It is linked with the honour of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said.

The NC leader said the BJP blamed them and the Article 370 for terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and said the terror incidents, especially in the Jammu region, contradict their claims.

“I want to ask them that five years have passed since the abrogation of Article 370 but terror incidents are still killing people. Only yesterday, we had an encounter in the Kishtwar district of Jammu,” he said.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister questioned the “silence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the alleged rape of a scheduled caste woman, a sanitation worker at Ayodhya’s Ram temple, and said, “Is she not our sister and daughter? They say we protect the citizens but the fact is they only care for their chair.”

The woman had accused nine people of rape. According to her complaint lodged at Ayodhya’s Cantt police station, she was gang-raped on three different occasions between August 16 and 25.

On BJP’s claim that they will form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir with 10 independents from Kashmir, he said, “They are saying a lot but where do they get these winners from? Do they come from the sky?”

He said the NC-Congress alliance is moving smoothly and “we are sure of getting a majority to form the next government in J-K”.

Earlier, addressing a rally, Abdullah said the BJP is talking a lot about Article 370 but the reality is that they are “dishonouring” Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler who introduced land laws in Jammu and Kashmir in 1927, which later became part of Article 370 after Independence.

“Those who celebrated the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 by distributing sweets are ruing the decision today because they are losing their lands and their children are not getting jobs. The local officers are missing in the civil secretariat as people from outside were given top posts,” Abdullah claimed.

“The NC-Congress has come together to change the destiny of Jammu and Kashmir and end the 10-year-old misrule of the BJP. We have to fight the hatred spread by them by standing united and defeating their designs,” Abdullah said.