Efforts to erase name of Sher-e-Kashmir always failed: Omar

Srinagar, Aug 17: National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the people of J&K have always defeated the efforts aimed at erasing the name and legacy of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
Addressing a party event here at Nawa E Subah, Omar said, “Our opponents have been employing tactics to toss out the plough flag from the J&K but there is something that despite their incessant efforts, our party is standing like a rock and even today people are ready to connect with this organization. The symbol of plough, and the name of Sheikh Sahib is forever ingrained in the hearts of people. Our party has stood worst of times and situations with the active support of our people, who have defeated such devious conspiracies democratically at the ballot box.”
On the occasion, he welcomed around 150 young political and social workers from Duroo Shahabad, and affiliated with Apni Party, into J&K National Conference.
As per a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Prominent among those who joined today included District President Anantnag Youth Apni Party Anees ul Islam, District Anantnag Coordinator Muzaffar Ah Khan. The event was organized by JKNC District President Anantnag Altaf Ahmad Wani and Incharge Dooru Syed Tawqeer Ahmed.
Party General Secretary Haji Ali Mohammad Sagar, Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, State Secretary Sakina Itoo, MP Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi, South zone President Dr Bashir Veeri, district presidents, In Charge Constituencies were also present on the occasion.
Omar in his address said that the truth cannot be suppressed in any way, and that it eventually resurfaces. “BJP, and its affiliated parties together have made tremendous efforts to tarnish the personality of the Sheikh Sahib and to erase his name from the hearts of the people. No matter how much they conceal the truth, it resurfaces one way or the other. The recent praise by Chief Justice of India Sheikh Sahib during Article 370 hearing is a point in case. He also praised him for his foresight & vision and how he spoke about economic integration, which the world is talking about today,” he said.
He said that the National Conference is a fortress and it draws its strength from the trust the people reposed in it. “We don’t deceive people and we don’t mislead people. After 2019, some people urged us to take the path of protest and said why don’t you come to the streets. We decided that we will not be able to achieve anything by protesting, we do not want to play with the future of the youth by putting stones in their hands, if we fight, we will fight in the court; if we fight, we will fight democratically and through constitutional ways. We stick to our position, today I am satisfied that we could not have done better than that. Today, the hearing of Article 370 is going on in the Supreme Court and if you look at the names of the best 5 lawyers in the country, you will definitely find the names of our counsels Kapil Sibal ji and Gopala Subrahmanyam there,” he said.
Omar further said, “I consider it a small success to some extent that leaders who used to say till yesterday that Article 370 will never come back, now they have taken a U-turn and changed their tone. They also say that the special position of Jammu and Kashmir should not have been tampered with. One can only try and we have left no stone unturned in this case. The rest of us should pray to Allah Ta’ala that we succeed in restoring our dignity and rightful place.”