Like farmers, J&K people may have to make `sacrifices` to get our rights back: Farooq Abdullah

Kashmir: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday (December 5) said the people of Jammu and Kashmir may have to make “sacrifices”, like the protesting farmers, to restore its statehood and special status.

After paying tribute to his father and founder of National Conference Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 116 birth anniversary at his mausoleum at Hazratbal along with the party workers, party president Dr Farooq Abdullah said that “we may have to offer sacrifice like farmers did to get back our rights and the special status of Jammu & Kashmir”. 

Farooq Abdullah said, “We are not against brotherhood, but they also have to understand us. As 11 months of farmers agitation and seven hundred farmers death they have to repeal back all three bills of farmers. Like that to take back our rights we too may have offer sacrifice remember this, we have promised that we will bring back 370 and 35A, and statehood.”

Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s and LG’s recent statement that post abrogation of Article 370, J&K is witnessing peace and tourism, Dr Farooq said that if tourism is picking up in Kashmir, what does that mean? “Is tourism everything? They say tourism got boost as if tourism is everything.”

On the appointment of chairman of Jammu Kashmir bank, he said, “You have promised no outsider will come. Were there no people for employing in the (Jammu & Kashmir) Bank that you got people from Punjab and Haryana?” 

He added, “Where will the people of this place go, where will our girls and boys go? If we raise our voice, they try to suppress it.”

Talking about Hyderpora encounter in which probe was ordered by LG Jammu Kashmir after the families alleged that the killed persons were innocent and all political parties in Kashmir protested and finally security forces returned two bodies of the killed.

Farooq said, “It was cooperation, and strength of all. When people raised their voice only then their bodies (Hyderpora encounter) were given back so that their family could bury them in their own way. There is still a dead body in the grave whose parents are waiting for him at Gool at his village.”

Farooq Abdullah recently was in controversy when during the ongoing parliament session he went to parliament having the old state flag of Jammu Kashmir on his vehicle which was removed after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu Kashmir. 

Despite heavy rains hundreds of party workers were assembled at the National Conference founder’s grave to pay him tribute and to listen the party leaders. 

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