Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 7: National Conference president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who today filed nomination from Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary constituency, warned the BJP leadership that a catastrophe will fall on entire country, if they take any initiative to abrogate Article 370.
Abdullah this morning filed nomination from Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary constituency with Returning Officer, Farooq Ahmad Shah. He was accompanied by his son Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz besides Ministers of State Cabinet and several NC and Congress leaders.
Soon after filing nomination papers, Dr Abdullah visited Hazratbal to pay obeisance and seek blessings following which he visited the graveyard of his late father, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and later addressed a public meeting there.
Prof Soz and several other Congress leaders accompanied Dr Abdullah to Hazratbal rally. Some of the Congress leaders even addressed the rally.
Abdullah, while addressing a press conference appealed to the workers of both Congress and National Conference to vote for him. He also asked them to strengthen the hands of secular parties who have pledged to defend the secular ethos of the State and country in a battle against communal forces and divisive figures.
The NC president attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for promising the abrogation of Article 370 in its manifesto. “National Conference, Congress and other national parties would not let Article 370 be abrogated”, he said.
Abdullah said that if the BJP leadership will initiate any step in this direction a catastrophe will fall on entire country and it would be difficult to stop. He said that Article 370 of the Constitution guarantees a special category status to Jammu and Kashmir and it remain as it is in the constitution.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the occasion criticised the election manifesto of BJP. He said: “These are only poll planks, which they have done earlier as well to garner votes, but won’t do anything about these things.”
On the Ram Mandir issue of the BJP, Omar said:”It is a matter before the court, these issues are used to hoodwink voters. I have been part of the NDA and no effort was made then to do so.”
Omar criticised the statement of Modi’s aide Amit Shah, saying: “We are asked to vote for an individual who wants revenge as has been made public by his trusted aide.”
The Chief Minister dismissed the opinion polls as not accurate. “I am a great believer in not believing the opinion polls”, he said.
Questioning Modi’s Gujarat model of development, Omar said that development in Gujarat is a smoke screen. “I have asked people to look at the social indicators. A handful of industrialists are benefitting from it. It is a bad place to be if you are poor”, he said.
Prof Soz claimed that there is perfect understanding between the NC and Congress party and cadres from both parties are working wholeheartedly for success of all the six candidates fielded in Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh.
Soz said that things are getting better for the Congress Party throughout the country and Modi factor is receding. “During every election BJP raises issues like common civil code, Ram Temple and abrogation of Article 370 and to achieve these goals is impossible for the BJP,” he said adding that these are only election gimmicks.
The Congress president asked party workers to work tirelessly for success of the NC candidates in Kashmir as “NC is wholeheartedly working for the success of the Congress candidates in Jammu and Ladakh.”
The Aam Aadmi party (AAP) candidate Dr Raja Muzaffar and two other independent candidates also filed their nomination papers today. The others who filled their nominations papers as independents are Feroz Ahmad Bhat and Rabia Altaf.
The PDP candidate Tariq Hamid Qarra will file his nomination papers on April 9, which is also last date of nomination papers. The scrutiny of papers will be held on April 10 and candidates can withdraw their names till April 12.
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