Srinagar, July 4: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday hoped that the Supreme Court will expedite the hearings in the petitions challenging the Centre's decision to revoke Article 370 and reorganise the erstwhile state into two union territories.
Nearly four years after the government diluted the provisions of Article 370 that bestowed a special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud will take up a batch of pleas challenging the decision for hearing on July 11.
“It is better late than never. We have been eagerly waiting for this day. Hearings would start on July 11 and we hope that they would be expedited as soon as this case is addressed in the Supreme Court and a verdict will come out,” Omar told reporters here, 25 kilometres from Srinagar.
The former chief minister said his party has no hopes from the BJP-led NDA government to restore the pre-August 2019 status of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have been saying this from day one that whatever has been snatched from us on 5 August 2019, we shouldn't have any hope from the present dispensation that they will bring that back to us. Our fight is long but in a peaceful manner and through democratic and constitutional ways. We want to get back whatever has been snatched from us,” he added.
Answering a question on the recent political developments in Maharashtra, Abdullah said it was unfortunate but nothing new.
“This is very unfortunate but not a new thing, we have been witnessing this for the last few years. Hardly any state has been left where they (BJP) have not tried to break opposition, more or less every party has been targeted. Whether Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Northeast, Karnataka everywhere … Even in Jammu and Kashmir, old parties have been targeted and broken to create new parties who are more close to BJP,” he said.
“Very unfortunate this is happening everywhere,” he added.
On IAS officer Shah Faesal's comments on Article 370, Abdullah said he had a right to withdraw the petition.
“That is another thing what he has said after withdrawing the petition, no one has forced him to file a petition and no one from us is going to ask him that he cannot withdraw the petition. It was his right to withdraw, what more can be said on that,” he added.
Speaking on the status of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said BJP is not ready for polls as they are sure of their defeat.
“In J&K, the BJP is scared of holding elections. They don't want to conduct elections as they are aware that they cannot even secure 10 seats. That is why they are troubling people. Election is our democratic right but we cannot claim it because BJP is not ready to contest elections,” he added.
