Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 11: Amid criticism that National Conference’s proposal to the Delimitation Commission in Jammu echoed BJP’s demands, party president Farooq Abdullah today said the issues in the two regions of the Union Territory were different from each other.
Speaking to reporters after paying floral tributes to his mother Begam Akbar Jehan at her mausoleum on the occasion of her 21st death anniversary, Abdullah said the different issues projected by the party’s Jammu unit should not worry the people.
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“Jammu has separate issues, while Kashmir has separate issues. Why are you worried?” the NC president told reporters when asked about the criticism by some quarters that the party’s proposal to the Commission in Jammu echoed the BJP demands in framing a new criterion to delimit constituencies.
In a reply to a question over the situation in Afghanistan and whether it would have any effect on Kashmir, Abdullah said he prays to God to bring peace to that country.
“Afghanistan is a separate country. May God bring peace there and do whatever is right for the people there. I cannot say anything more than this because I have no relation with Afghanistan,” he said.
Earlier, Abdullah along with his son and NC vice president Omar Abdullah and other senior leaders of the party paid floral tributes at the mausoleum of Begam Akbar Jehan — wife of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. The NC leaders also offered special prayers there.
The functionaries recalled the contribution of Bagum Akbar Jehan stating that she donned various roles during her life span not just holding the party flag high but also giving trajectory to the strength of party workers at a time when Sher-e-Kashmir was serving confinement.
The leaders said that Begum Akbar Jehan not only played a key role in overthrowing the york of feudalism out of JK but also worked ceaselessly for poor and deprived sections of the society until her last breath. Calling her a paragon of sacrifice, the leaders said any reference to JK’s struggle for restoration of its rights pre and post 47 cannot be complete without her mention.
“Even today the public memory is replete with the enormous incidents of her unfathomable heroism, bottomless compassion and unparalleled self-sacrifice. Her doyen role in carving a selfhood and identity for people of J&K is tremendous. Her legacy remains to remind all of us of our duties towards our people and the party. The biggest tribute to her on her anniversary will be to renew our commitment to the ideals of Sher-e-Kashmir, and Madre Meharban,” the leaders said.
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