Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Oct 7: National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that the party will approach the Supreme Court if the Lieutenant Governor (LG) nominates five members to the Legislative Assembly, arguing that the responsibility of nominating members lies with the elected Government, not the LG.
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Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Dr Abdullah emphasized that the elected Government of Jammu and Kashmir holds the authority to nominate members to the Legislative Assembly and urged the LG to refrain from interfering.
“Now that the Government is being formed, it is the Government’s job to nominate whom it wants and forward it to the LG. That is the normal procedure. I do not know what they plan to do, but if they take such a step, we will go to the Supreme Court. The LG should stay away from this,” he said. Comparing the Governor to a Viceroy, he asked, “What is the point of forming a Government if the Viceroy stays? We have to fight against all these moves.”
Expressing confidence in the National Conference-Congress alliance, Farooq said he hopes the coalition will form a stable Government. “I am not too excited about Exit Polls because they can be wrong or right. The truth will emerge when the votes are counted. We are hoping the alliance will form a stable Government,” he said.
Abdullah also advocated for the restoration of full Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. “Statehood should come, and not truncated Statehood, but full Statehood where the Government has the power to act,” he said.
He welcomed potential support from the PDP to improve the State. “Why not? If we all work towards the same goal-improving conditions for the people, reducing unemployment, addressing the problems of the last decade-why should not we accept their support?” he asked.
Dr Abdullah reiterated that the National Conference would never align with the BJP. “I have known their intentions from the start, and they will not succeed. I made it clear that we are not ready to go with the BJP. Those who do will face the worst fate,” he warned.
He called for unity among the people to address the challenges faced by Jammu and Kashmir over the past decade. “Our main aim is to work for the good of the people and remove the tragedies they have endured,” he said.
When asked about the next Chief Minister, Abdullah made it clear he would not be taking the position. “I have done my job. My concern now is to help form a strong Government that fulfills the agenda we presented during the election,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, he highlighted the deteriorating condition of Jammu, traditionally seen as the party’s stronghold. “I have seen the destruction in Jammu-poor roads, no streetlights. They think Jammu is in their pocket, but people need to see what their condition is now,” he said.
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