Srinagar Dec 01: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the revocation of Article 370 was in BJP's manifesto but there is no logic behind the withdrawal of statehood and division of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
He also accused the BJP of misleading the country by “false propaganda” to justify its action of August 5, 2019, and said the security situation has deteriorated to such an extent that “one cannot feel safe in any part of Kashmir owing to growing militancy which was evident from the selective killings including that of Kashmiri Pandits in the recent past”.
The former chief minister and National Conference vice president was speaking at a public meeting in Bhaderwah town of Doda district on the penultimate day of his week-long tour of Chenab valley in the Jammu division.
He urged the locals to maintain communal harmony and brotherhood to “frustrate conspiracies of those dividing the people on the basis of religion” to win elections.
“The National Conference lost the 2014 assembly elections and the BJP took advantage and came to power through the back door and then pulled down the PDP-led government followed by what it was planning (to abrogate Article 370),” he said.
“I accept that the revocation of Article 370 was in the manifesto of the BJP but why was the erstwhile state downgraded and divided into two parts which was not in their manifesto.
One fails to understand what the reason was for this. No one had any answer to it as well as what benefit it had to the people of J&K,” Abdullah said.
He said the demand for Union Territory status was only from the “Buddhists of Leh” district, while the Kargil population wanted to be with Jammu & Kashmir.
