NC holds orientation program, takes out protest march in Kulgam
Kulgam | Wednesday, 30 August 2017: National Conference on Wednesday organized a day-long orientation program to spread awareness about Article 35-A in Kulgam and reiterated the party’s commitment to fight for the safeguarding of the State’s special status and unique political and cultural identity. The orientation program that was attended by party leaders and functionaries threw light on the importance of Article 35-A and possible disastrous repercussions of its repeal. Following the conclusion of the orientation program, National Conference leaders and activists led by NC Kulgam District President and MLA Homshalibug Abdul Majeed Larmi, Provincial Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, District President Youth National Conference Ishtiyaq Ganaie and other members of the District Committee, held a peaceful protest march from Town Hall Kulgam to the office of the DC, Kulgam.
Speaking on the occasion, the NC leaders said PDP’s inaction and lack of seriousness in defending Article 35-A in the Supreme Court spoke volumes about the party’s real intentions and exposed their hidden, nefarious understanding with the BJP to launch an assault on the State’s Special Status. The NC leaders also questioned the PDP’s moral ground to speak about its alleged ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ anymore after its own Senior Leader, MP and Vice President of the Party, Muzaffar Hussain Baigh publicly questioned the validity and credibility of the document.
The NC Leaders also highlighted the fact that the BJP-led Central Government had chosen to not file a counter affidavit to the petition challenging Article 35-A and had openly advocated a “larger debate” on the issue in clear contradiction to earlier claims that PDP had succeeded in getting BJP to agree to maintain a “status-quo” on the State’s Special Status and those constitutional provisions that give J&K a right to define its State Subjects and the rights they are entitled to in exclusivity.
The National Conference Leaders lauded the decision of the Party Leadership to fight this battle from the forefront and evolve a consensus on the grassroots level in tandem with other likeminded organizations in the State. Speaking at the orientation program and the protest march, the NC leaders said it was laudable that National Conference Working President Mr. Omar Abdullah has made it unambiguously clear that the party was in touch with top-notch legal experts from the country and would consider to represent the State’s interests in the Supreme Court as a private party if the need arises.
The National Conference Leaders asked party workers and activists to go door-to-door to make people aware about the malicious propaganda unleashed by the BJP and its allied non-governmental-organizations (NGOs) in falsely portraying Article 35-A as detrimental to the State’s interests. “Article 35-A forms the cornerstone of the State’s political identity and is vital and non-negotiable for its prosperity and peace. Any harm to Article 35-A would be an unprecedented provocation that could lead to instability in the State and also break the constitutional bridge that connects J&K to the rest of the country”, the NC leaders said.
The NC Leaders said the party leadership is reaching out to people in all the three regions of the State to dispel myths and false propaganda about Article 35-A and would leave no stone unturned to defend the rights and honour of the people.
ADVERTISEMENT