Farooq: NC to go it alone in Assembly elections

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 12

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah today announced the NC would fight the next Assembly election alone, saying that his party was confident of a massive mandate on its own, given the support of people at ground zero.

“We won’t have an alliance with any party,” he said while addressing workers in Udhampur this afternoon, adding that a stable, strong and people-friendly government was the answer to the problems facing Jammu and Kashmir.

“Immediately after forming the government, the NC will bring a legislation in the first Assembly session with regard to regional autonomy,” he said and added that this would empower every segment of society and every region and sub-region, politically and economically.

He asked the party cadre to gear up for the big challenge and work for further strengthening the NC at every level.

Abdullah lambasted the BJP for “dividing” the nation on religion and said it had negated the vision of freedom fighters who gave sacrifices to free India from the shackles of the Britishers. “At that point of time, the freedom stalwarts did not think in terms of Hindus, Muslims or Sikhs but their paramount mission was to seek freedom for India, the abode of all faiths,” he said, adding that divisive forces had trampled the spirit of freedom.