Lagatar24 Desk
Srinagar: National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah reaffirmed on Sunday that the NC-Congress alliance would ensure the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood if victorious in the upcoming assembly elections. Addressing the media, Abdullah emphasized that regaining statehood is a top priority for both parties.
“National Conference and Congress will ensure that we get our statehood back,” Abdullah stated in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent comments at a BJP rally. Shah had accused the NC and Congress of misleading the public on the issue of statehood, asserting that only the Centre can restore it.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has governed India since 2014, revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in October 2019, splitting the region into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Abdullah further questioned the effectiveness of Article 370’s abrogation in ending terrorism in the region. “They say if the NC and Congress come to power, terrorism will start again. I ask them, when they abolished Article 370, did terrorism end?” he remarked, challenging the BJP’s narrative.
Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was revoked by the BJP-led government in August 2019, shortly after its re-election. Despite the abrogation, Abdullah argued that terrorism persists in the Valley.
Jammu and Kashmir is preparing for its first assembly election since 2014, with polling set for September 18, 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8, the same day as the Haryana assembly election results.
