Despite win, Modi can’t scrap 370 : Farooq

Tribune News Service 

Jammu, May 24

Farooq Abdullah, National Conference (NC) chief and newly elected Member of Parliament from Srinagar, said on Friday that no matter how powerful the electoral mandate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he could not remove Articles 370 and 35A. 

He said the preservation of Articles 35A and 370, besides grant of regional autonomy to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, would be the main plank of his party, while exuding confidence that NC would form the next government in the state on its own.

“No matter how powerful the Prime Minister has become after winning the parliamentary elections, he cannot remove Article 35A and Article 370 from J&K,” Farooq told mediapersons on his arrival in Jammu after his re-election from Srinagar parliamentary seat here.

Flanked by NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana, the three-time chief minister hoped that Modi would do justice with the people of J&K. “The rights of the people need to be protected and a sense of security instilled among them,” Farooq said. 

The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A was the main poll plank of BJP’s election manifesto “Sankalp Patra” in the just concluded parliamentary polls. 

Responding to a query regarding BJP state president’s statement that the next chief minister in J&K would be from saffron party, Farooq said “Delhi can’t decide who will be the chief minister of this state. It is to be decided by the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions only”. 

Earlier, while addressing party workers at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here, he asked them to “gear up for assembly elections”. 

Congratulating the party chief for NC’s clean sweep in the parliamentary elections in Kashmir valley, Rana said the result reinforced people’s immense faith in Farooq and Omar’s leadership.

Party vows to protect J&K’s special status 

The National Conference on Friday thanked the people of Kashmir for a “spectacular mandate” in its favour and said the party was committed to work towards the protection of the state’s special status. Party general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar in a statement thanked the people for giving “a strong mandate in favour” of the candidates from all three parliamentary seats of Kashmir.