Srinagar, Nov 16: People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Wednesday said his party will strive politically and legally for restoration of the special status to Jammu and Kashmir that was repealed by the Centre in 2019.
“Jammu and Kashmir had a legacy which was destroyed in 2019. We will strive to get that legacy back, be it politically or legally. And if there is any sacrifice to be made for it, it should be the leadership and not the children of ordinary masses,” Lone said after taking oath as People’s Conference president for a four-year term.
Lone, who was elected president of the party unopposed earlier this month, hit out at Jammu and Kashmir’s oldest regional party, National Conference, saying they cannot claim to lead the people when they were responsible for the mess people are in.
“One who does not talk about 1987 elections, the rigging that happened in those elections, he will never understand Kashmir issue. If 1987 had not happened, would the gun infiltrate here? Would there be so many new graveyards? Who filled those graveyards? No one is asking this question,” Lone said blaming the National Conference for rigging the assembly elections which is believed to have led to the eruption of militancy.
Lone said everyone in Kashmir was being questioned and put in Jail even for acts like giving food to terrorists in 1990.
“Everyone is being questioned and rounded up. People are put in jail for giving food to a militant in 1990 but no one is questioning the thief of 1987,” he added.
The People’s Conference president said while NC president Farooq Abdullah made a chief minister out of his son Omar Abdullah, JKLF chief Yasin Malik was slapped with nine cases and put behind bars for becoming election agent of opposition candidate in 1987.
“Farooq Abdullah became the leader and he made his son a chief minister. Yasin Malik was slapped with nine cases and sent to jail for becoming election agent of an opposition candidate. And he is still in jail. Malik took to arms, we do not support that, but is anyone asking why he took up a gun? Who put him on that path?” he asked.
“Today we have to fight but I would wish the same for the children of all people what I wish for my two children. The leadership has a role today – to save the future generation from the bullets and the jail,” he added. (Agencies)
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