Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 30: National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah today said the pre-poll alliance with the Congress was not easy but was necessary to defeat the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
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Addressing a party function at the NC headquarters Nawa-e-Subah, Omar said alliance was not an easy decision as the party had to “sacrifice” many seats it felt it had a chance to win.
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The NC leader said the alliance with the Congress was necessary to defeat the BJP. “That is why we joined hands with the Congress, even as it was not an easy decision for us, (because) we had to sacrifice those seats where we knew only the NC can give a tough fight,” the NC vice president said.
Omar emphasized that this collective struggle for the “restoration of rights” in J&K was crucial and beneficial for the entire region.
“This is not only our fight, but of the whole J&K. If we have to undo the wrongs done to us, it will not only benefit us, but every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. We are fighting this battle collectively for J&K,” he said.
“In many seats, like the low-lying areas of Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri, the Congress and we can together fight those powers, that is why we gave the Congress some seats here from the NC’s kitty,” he added.
Omar said the first impact of the pre-poll alliance was seen when former Congress leader and Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad announced he will not campaign for his party in the polls.
Omar said if the NC is elected to power, it would revoke the Public Safety Act (PSA) and stop arrests of youth. ”We have witnessed many problems – PSA has been used blindly. We have promised in our manifesto that if the NC forms the Government, we will revoke the PSA from J&K so that there is no scope for its misuse,” he said.
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