NC won’t back down on Article 370 restoration: Farooq Abdullah
Srinagar: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah has said restoration of Article 370 remains the party’s core agenda, asserting “there is no question of stepping back from this struggle.”
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing a gathering in Budgam, Abdullah said the NC’s foundation rests on the sacrifices of Kashmir’s martyrs who laid down their lives for the dignity and freedom of the people from centuries of oppression. He recalled that the first democratically elected NC government granted constitutional and land ownership rights, landmark reforms reduced poverty and illiteracy, turning tillers into landowners overnight.
Abdullah said special status was gradually eroded in an “unconstitutional and undemocratic manner,” with whatever remained “fully abolished in 2019.”
Warning against misleading narratives, he said the party will continue to fight for the rights of the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir under all circumstances. He added that urgent restoration of statehood is essential for an elected government to function effectively, saying a dual system of governance could lead to instability.
Abdullah said Prime Modi and Home Amit Shah had promised statehood restoration after elections, but over a year and a half has passed since the elected government was formed. New Delhi must fulfil its commitment without further delay, he said, noting the Indian Supreme Court has also directed restoration at the earliest.
