Srinagar: National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that they don’t expect hearing of Article 370 and 35-A in the Supreme Court as it would be impossible for the BJP-led government to defend the case in the top court.
NC apart from several political parties has challenged the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into union territories in the Supreme Court. The plea is pending before the court.
Talking to media persons on the sidelines of workers convention in Bandipora, he said that if the Article 370 case would have been in favour of the Government of India, a hearing would have taken place in the Supreme Court long ago. “They know they can’t defend it, that is why there has not been a single hearing so far,” he added.
The former chief minister said that the government knows that the decision taken on August 5, 2019 was unconstitutional and undemocratic and they are afraid to face it in the court which is why there has been no hearing.
In his address to workers, he said that BJP is incessantly trying to divide the voice of the people of Jammu and Kashmir so that it’s “stooges” and “cronies” make it to the legislature to give credence to the August 5, 2019 decisions.
“They haven’t stopped yet. The next thing to do on their agenda is to fragment our voices so that they and their B-teams make it to the legislature and sanction the unilateral, undemocratic and unconstitutional decisions of August 05 2019. They will use the legislature to justify their undemocratic decisions nationally and globally. They will use the sanction in the Supreme Court as well,” he added.
Calling for strengthening efforts underway to get back the rights, he said the people know that these B-teams of BJP are flying under false colours and their sole agenda is to help BJP to get the sanction of the J&K legislature. “We have to work together to achieve the ultimate goal of securing our abridged rights. We have chosen a constitutional, legal and democratic path towards that end. There is no scope of complacency, our workers have to go door to door to ensure that our agenda reaches every door step,” he said.
Omar said that Article 370 is not about land but about the identity of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Today the people of Ladakh and Kargil are protesting to get snatched rights back as they know it is their identity.”
On being asked about participation of National Conference in the delimitation commission, Omar said that their demand is that it shouldn’t be done on a political basis. “There should be only one agenda before the commission that this should be done based on the 2011 census and not to support a few political parties here.”
With inputs from KNS

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