Will never sacrifice principles for power: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Jul 4: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday chaired a special convention of the party’s Central Zone committee at Manasbal in Ganderbal.
General Secretary Haji Ali Mohammad Sagar, Additional General Secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, Senior Leaders Abdul Rahim Rather, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Mubarak Gul, Shameema Firdous, Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi, Irfan Shah, Central Zone President Ali Muhammad Dar Political Advisors Mushtaq Guroo, Mudassar Shahmiri, State Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, Provincial Secretary Shaukat Ahmad Mir, VP Province Ahsan Pardesi, District President Srinagar Peer Afaq Ahmed, YNC Provincial President Salman Ali Sagar, Women’s wing Provincial president Sabiya Qadri, party leaders Saifudin Bhat, Dr. Muhammad Shafi, Jagdish Singh Azad, Sheikh Ghayasuddin, Ghulam Nabi Teilbali, Ghulam Nabi Bhat, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, Rayees Mattoo, Bilal Ganaie, DDC members, youth and women wing officials were present in the meeting. Provincial level officials and central zone officials, constancy in-charges and DDC members also participated in the meeting.
In addition to organizational issues and programs, the current political situation, current problems and difficulties faced by the people were discussed threadbare during the hours-long interaction. The participants apprised the leadership about party activities and ground situation besides highlighting the everyday problems and difficulties of the people in their respective areas.
In his address, Omar said that there is a big difference between J & K National Conference and other political parties. “Other parties only want power, we also want power but we are not ready to sacrifice our principles for it and power is not our end goal,” he said adding, “The rest have already given up on Article 370 and argue that Article 370 was gone. They say it’s enough to get statehood, we too want our statehood back but we haven’t relinquished our fight on Article 370.”
“Party’s position on Art 370 remains unchanged and we will fight peacefully, democratically and legally. I will not give stones and guns to our youth, I won’t spoil the environment. we are committed to a peaceful struggle and we will continue to remain steadfast in our struggle,” he added.
Welcoming the announcement of the hearing date of Article 370 on July 11 by the Supreme Court, Omar Abdullah said, “We are thankful to the Chief Justice of India. Hearings on petitions on Art 370 would start on July 11 and we hope that they would be expedited as soon as this case is addressed in the Supreme Court and a verdict will come out. It is better late than never. We have been eagerly waiting for this day.”
He said that if presented in the right way, our case is very strong. “In J&K priori to abrogation of Art 370, then Governor first gave himself the powers of the Assembly and then assigned the powers of the Constituent Assembly to himself. First he said that he was the representative of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and as the representative of those people who are not even alive today. All these things will be before the Supreme Court and we hope that we will get justice from there,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the opportunistic elements, Omar Abdullah said that those who have already allied with the BJP are the same people who say that the National Conference and the BJP will form the next government together. “Why will we form a government together with the BJP? We are trying to form a government on our own. We are trying to explain to people that if you had not formed coalition governments in the past, we would not be in this situation today. We are telling the truth to the people that if the National Conference had not been weakened, these people (BJP) would never have been able to touch Article 370 and 35A.”
Omar Abdullah said that in 1996, the way the National Conference got a two-thirds majority and prepared the draft of Autonomy and got it approved by the Assembly, from that day conspiracies were hatched and that the National Conference could never get a majority. August 5, 2019 was the result of that conspiracy.
On the occasion DDC Lar (A) Sajjad Durrani joined National Conference and Party Vice President Omar Abdullah and other leaders including Mian Altaf Ahmad who facilitated his joining welcomed him into the party.
Later Omar Abdullah visited District President Ganderbal Ghulam Nabi Rather at his residence in Nagbal and enquired about his wellbeing. He was accompanied by Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, Political Advisor to President Mushtaq Guroo, Political Advisor to VP Mudassar Shahmiri and party’s local unit functionaries.
On his way back, Omar Abdullah visited the bereaved family of late Sampat Prakash at Harwan and offered condolences on their loss. He prayed for peace to the departed souls. He was accompanied by party Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, Political Advisors Mushtaq Guroo, Mudassar Shahmiri.