Erosion of State’s Special Status primary goal of PDP-BJP alliance – NC

Srinagar | Thursday, 07 December 2017: National Conference on Thursday said the erosion of the State’s Special Status and unique political identity was the primary goal of the PDP-BJP Alliance. Addressing a special party convention in Anantnag on Thursday, NC Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani said recurring direct and sponsored assaults on the State’s Special Status were patronized by the current political dispensation in the State which was cobbled up in utter contempt to the sentiments of the people.

“The primary goal of the PDP-BJP Alliance is to erode the State’s Special Status. While BJP has made it abundantly clear that they remain committed to their traditional stand to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35-A of the Constitution of India, PDP’s complicity is proven by their silence and tacit support to such nefarious designs. The assurance of maintaining status-quo on Article 370 and Article 35-A in the common minimum program of the PDP-BJP Alliance has been torn to shreds as BJP has openly supported various attempts to seek the abrogation and repeal of special constitutional provisions that form the basis of the State’s accession to the Union under special circumstances”, the National Conference Provincial President added.

“While the PDP-BJP Government has failed abjectly on the governance and administration front, it has also provided a political platform to divisive forces inimical to the State’s political honour and dignity. This is a historic betrayal that is unprecedented in both its malice and repugnance and the people have realized the hypocrisy of PDP as the promises made by its leaders before coming to power have been effortlessly abandoned”, Nasir Aslam Wani added.

The NC Provincial President said every single promise of the PDP-BJP Alliance – be it the return of power projects, the revocation of AFSPA, the initiation of dialogue with stakeholders irrespective of their ideological affiliations or the promise of safeguarding the State’s special status – has been broken. “This alliance has broken every single promises that PDP tried to sell to the people of the State as a smokescreen to hide its Faustian bargain to occupy the Chief Minister’s chair. Not a single promises made in their alleged ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ has been upheld. The height of shamelessness is evidenced by the fact that Senior PDP Leader and its Vice President, Muzaffar Baigh openly questioned the very existence of the ‘Agenda of the Alliance’,” the National Conference Provincial President further said.

Party Leaders including NC District President Anantnag, Dr. Muhammad Shafi, Former MLC Dr. Bashir Ahmed Veeri, Advocate Riyaz Ahmed Khan, Dr. Rafiq Ahmed Kochak besides senior party functionaries and activists also spoke on the occasion.