State Times News
Beerwah: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday filed his nomination from Beerwah–one of the two Assembly segments he is contesting–as thousands of ruling National Conference supporters mounted a massive roadshow wooing voters.
After filing his papers, Omar, the NC President, said he did not run away from Ganderbal, a bastion of the Abdullah family, from where he is a sitting MLA. He is also contesting from Sonawar Assembly segment.
“I did not run away from Ganderbal. I have worked in Ganderbal and there is hardly any village (in the constituency) where I had not worked,” he said, addressing a rally in this town in Budgam District in Kashmir Valley.
Separately, Omar asked BJP to clarify its stand on Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jand K since the party was talking in different voices in different parts of the State on its abrogation.
“BJP itself is talking in different voices. In Jammu, they talk about abrogating Article 370 and in the Valley they say that if people want, it will remain (in the Constitution),” he told reporters.
Beerwah was a sea of red as the red-and-white flags and buntings of the NC adorned both sides of the road from Narbal to Beerwah–a distance of nearly 20 km. It goes to the polls on 9th December in the third phase of the five-phased Assembly polls.
Omar stepped beyond the security protocol to mingle with the enthusiastic supporters and interacted with them.
His security detail had a tough time as supporters of the Chief Minister used the opportunity to click some ‘selfies’ with their leader.
The supporters did not allow the NC leader to board his vehicle and instead urged him to walk through to Beerwah Bus Stand ahead of the rally.
Omar happily obliged and even instructed the security personnel not to prevent people from coming closer to him.
Clad in a pheran (traditional Kashmiri gown used during winter), Omar paid obeisance at a local shrine at Nihalpora in Pattan area of Baramulla District.
Hundreds of trucks, buses, cars, autorickhsaws and motorcycles formed a huge procession in front and at the back of the cavalcade of the NC Working President. Shouting slogans in favour of Omar and the NC, the activists including women broke into spontaneous dance jigs and cheers.
At the rally, Omar said he does not indulge in politics of deceit and is seeking support of the people for improving basic amenities and reducing the effect of militancy in the State.
“Mein dokhe ki siyasat nahi karta (I don’t indulge in politics of deceit). This vote is for roads, schools and for reducing the effect of militancy. We have worked for the last six years for this,” he added.
Maintaining that the Kashmir issue was “not about funds or relief from New Delhi”, Omar said, “No Chief Minister of this State has been so candid about asking the Centre to find ways and means to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue.”
“I had asked former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to find a political solution to the Kashmir issue,” he told the gathering.
Taking on the BJP, Omar said if it followed the slogan of ‘Ek vidhan, ek nishan, ek pradhan (one Constitution, one flag and one leader)’ then it “clearly means that BJP does not believe in Kashmiriyat”.
“BJP has to respect the flag and the Constitution of Kashmir,” Omar said amid loud cheers from 7,000-strong gathering.
He said that Kashmir was standing at the crossroads like it was in 1977 when Sheikh Abdullah was ill.
“Many political parties gathered against National Conference but failed. Today again we are at the same point as everyone has ganged up against our party. I am sure that history will be repeated and National Conference will form the next government.” (PTI)