J-K people rejected BJP's abrogation of Article 370: Omar Abdullah

Following the victory of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration in Kashmir, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that people of Jammu and Kashmir did not accept the BJP government's abrogation of Article 370. Abdullah also said that if BJP had won the election, they would have termed PAGD as anti-nationalists and pro-Pakistanis.

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and vice president of National Conference, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said people of Jammu and Kashmir have rejected BJP government's abrogation of Article 370 by voting for People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).

"If you (BJP) are saying that democracy has won in Jammu and Kashmir, then you should accept that people have rejected the decision of revocation of special status on August 5," Omar said.

Omar was addressing the party workers at Nawai Subh party office to congratulate them for DDC election victory. The PAGD won 110 seats across Jammu and Kashmir, while BJP succeeded in 75 seats.

PAGD is a union of six political parties including National Conference, People's Democratic Party, Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement, Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference and Communist Party of India (Marxist). NC bagged 67 seats and is expected to head DDCs in many districts especially in Kashmir Valley.

“Since yesterday, BJP has been saying the DDC polls is a victory of democracy. If the results were against us, BJP would have shouted aloud that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have rejected the PAGD and called us opportunists, anti-nationalists and pro-Pakistan," he said.

He said that PAGD and NC will fight for people's rights but not unlawfully or unconstitutionally. "We do not intend to disturb the atmosphere in this state, but we want to make it better,” he said.

Omar said the results of the DDC elections have proven that the BJP will not be able to bury the NC. The former chief minister said that BJP will not hold the assembly elections soon after the results of DDC elections.

“Assembly elections would not be held soon as BJP was defeated in this election. I do not think they will hold the assembly elections here anytime soon. If they believed in democracy, they would have sounded the bugle of the assembly elections. But they will not," he said.

NC president and Member Parliament Dr Farooq Abdullah said that he is not scared of anyone except God. "I am the son of Sher-i-Kashmir (referring to his father Sheikh Abdullah). I am not scared of anyone," he said.

Farooq was referring to the sealing of his residential house and other property in Srinagar and Jammu by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association scam. Last week, the Enforcement Directorate in a statement said that it has attached the property of Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar and Jammu.