“Decision Centre took on August 5 2019, not acceptable by people of J&K”: Farooq Abdullah

SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah said that the decision taken by the Central Government in 2019 to revoke Article 370 was not acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and that there would be a day when the people here would “get their respect back.”

Following the ruckus that has erupted in the Jammu-Kashmir Assembly for the third consecutive day over the passing of the resolution for the restoration of Article 370, Abdullah said that there would be a day when the people of Jammu and Kashmir would get their respect back even if Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and he were not there to see it.

“It has been proved today that the decision they (the Centre) took on 5th August 2019 is not acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They are not standing with the decision. This has been proven in front of the world… There will be a day when people (of J&K) will get their respect back. Maybe Omar and I will not be there on that day, but the people of J&K will see,” Farooq Abdullah said.

Speaking on the same matter, the Speaker at the J&K assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, said that it was very good that there had been a detailed talk on this matter, as it was not a small thing for the people of the union territory.

“It was very good. Article 370 is not a small thing for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. There were detailed talks about special positions, which is a big thing for the people of J&K,” Rather said.

Meanwhile, the leader of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Waheed Para, said that his party supported the NC in passing the resolution but noted that the push could have been stronger, stating that his party felt betrayed by the NC’s move.

“We have been clearly saying that the resolution passed by this House, in which we supported the National Conference, should have been stronger. This looks like an act of surrender and betrayal, unfortunately. We wanted a strong resolution on behalf of the government,” Para said.

Earlier today, a ruckus ensued in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly for the third day in a row after a PDP MLA from Kupwara exhibited a banner in support of the restoration of Article 370 in the union territory.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs raised slogans and clashed with fellow members, including Engineer Rashid’s brother and Awami Ittehad Party MLA Sheikh Khursheed, over a banner he was carrying.

BJP MLAs were seen entering the well of the House along with Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh and were being marshalled out of the House on the orders of Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.

During the session, several slogans were raised against the PDP by BJP MLAs and MLA Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh. BJP MLAs also raised slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ in the House.

Reacting to the ruckus, J&K LoP Sunil Sharma termed it the “darkest day in the democracy.” He accused the Assembly Speaker of behaving as the “Speaker of the National Conference” instead of the House.

The first session of the newly elected assembly in Jammu and Kashmir kicked off on November 4 with the introduction of a resolution opposing the revocation of Article 370 and restoring the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Notably, the restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood as well as the implementation of the autonomy resolution was one of the main promises made by the National Conference in its manifesto for the Jammu-Kashmir elections. The first session of the new assembly will conclude today. (ANI)