National Conference vice president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah Thursday accused the BJP of ‘seeing a Pakistani in every Muslim’, especially Muslims of J&K.
Addressing a public rally at Ramban during his week-long tour of Chenab Valley, comprising Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts, Abdullah said that “when we talk of fighting a constitutional battle in Supreme Court, BJP leaders say we speak the language of Pakistan.” “These days, it is very easy for the BJP leaders to say this as they see a Pakistani in every Muslim, especially Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
Saying “he does not know what they will have to do” to prove they are not with Pakistan, Abdullah said they established a relationship with India in 1947 and since then have made “sacrifices with their own blood” to keep this relationship.
“What wrong are we saying if we ask for protecting the promises given to Jammu and Kashmir and which were given a constitutional shape under Article 370 so as to maintain that relationship?” he asked. “We do not ask for anything expect that you do justice with us,” the NC leader said.
“Is it not true that on August 5, 2019 two Union Territories were carved out of one Jammu and Kashmir State – Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh? Tell me that why there are two different laws for them in matters of land, jobs, scholarships and the state subject. When we were told that the motive behind abrogating Article 370 was to have a uniform system in the entire country, then why two different systems in one erstwhile state?” he asked.
“If in Ladakh, jobs are secured for children, safeguards provided to people with respect to land, scholarships provided and their voting rights are under the old state subject laws, why not the same law for us?” he added.(PTI)
