Lok Sabha member and National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah said on Friday that he would not die till what he called the constitutional rights of the people of J&K and Ladakh are restored.
Abdullah arrived on Friday afternoon along with his son and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. The Abdullahs came to Jammu for the first time after August 5, 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated and the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Addressing party leaders and workers at the NC headquarters, 'Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan', Abdullah said, "I am here to do something for my people and until the rights of the people of J&K and Ladakh are restored, I will not die."
He blamed the BJP for making false promises to the people of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
"If J&K had to join Pakistan, that would have happened in 1947 and these (BJP) would have been thrown beyond Lakhanpur (UT's border with neighbouring Punjab). But, a great leader like Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah stood up and joined secular India," he said.
Now, Shiv Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has slammed Abdullah for his remark on the restoration of article 370. Interacting with media Raut said, "If Farooq Abdullah wants, he can go to Pakistan and implement Article 370 there. In India, there is no place for Article 370 and 35 A. Now, Kashmir is part of India, if someone has a problem with it then a DNA test should be conducted. Now the new domicile law enables people of India to buy land in Kashmir and establish a business there which will also empower and give employment to the people of Kashmir. People who are opposing this maybe they have some connection with Pakistan."
Interestingly, Congress veteran leader P Chidambaram has clearly stated that the national party stands for article 370 and will reinstate the special status of Kashmir if comes to power. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena has formed its alliance with the Congress and the NCP. This statement by Raut indicates that there might be some differences emerge between the parties in the future.
WITH INPUTS FROM IANS