Harm to Art 370, 35A will cast shadow on accession: Farooq

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 31

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday warned that “any attempt to harm” Article 370 and Article 35A will cast a shadow on the accession of the state with the Union of India.

“Any attempt to harm Art 370 and Art 35A will unarguably cast shadow on the fundamentals of the accession of the state with the Union of India,” he said.

Farooq, who is his party’s candidate from Srinagar for the Lok Sabha elections, also told the voters that the upcoming poll provide “an opportunity to keep such forces out of power who are inimical to the constitutional safeguards of our identity and integrity”.

While addressing a public gathering in Batamalloo constituency, Farooq said the “whole scheme of our state’s accession will come under shadow if Art 370 and Art 35A are fiddled with”.

Farooq also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “squandering the precious mandate of people”. “PM Modi had promised to deliver on various issues concerning the nation during his 2014 election campaign but he has aggravated the problems to an extent that will take decades to solve. Modi government presents a tale of failures and misgovernment. People have now made it a point to give a befitting reply to Modi for his failures and lies,” he said.

He also alleged that the BJP government had “failed to deliver on key issues that the country is facing” and said it “would create a war-like situation in the country to subvert the attention of people from the real issues affecting the poor, farmers and the labour class”.