Omar Abdullah Urges Kashmiris to Send Message to Centre on Article 370 Ahead of Polls

GG News Bureau
Srinagar, 4th April. Senior National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah is making the upcoming Lok Sabha polls about the BJP-led central government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and downgrade Jammu and Kashmir to Union territory status. He has asked people not to vote for his party if they support this move.

Abdullah stated, “In this election, we have to answer just one question: Whether the decision taken on August 5, 2019, was right or wrong.”

Addressing a meeting of his party workers on Wednesday, Abdullah, who was detained for over 200 days after the repeal of Article 370, said, “Don’t vote for the National Conference if you believe the decision was right. Don’t vote for us if this decision has improved your lives.”

He emphasized that people need to use their vote to show that they do not accept the decision. Abdullah added, “Vote for us if you feel deceived and there is a sense of injustice after August 5, 2019.”

Through the Jammu And Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the state was bifurcated and the Union territory of Ladakh was created. Ladakh is now seeing protests for statehood and constitutional guarantees for jobs, land, and other privileges previously protected under Article 370.

Abdullah told his party members that they can only send a message through their vote, not through protests or disrupting law and order. He said, “We do not encourage violence or disrupt peace. We have sacrificed lives to maintain peace.”

The National Conference is contesting on three seats – Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag – and leaving two seats to Congress in Jammu.