Pulwama, Jun 16: Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah Wednesday criticised the Centre for not holding by-elections in Jammu and Kashmir, accusing it of sidelining constitutional responsibilities.
By-elections were announced in other states where seats had fallen vacant, but not in J&K, Abdullah said addressing party workers in Pulwama. Two Legislative Assembly seats ñ Budgam and Nagrota – remain vacant.
NC leader and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resigned from Budgam after choosing to retain his Ganderbal seat while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)ís Devender Rana, the MLA from Nagrota, passed away.
The three-time chief minister Abdullah also questioned the delay in elections to the Rajya Sabha from the region.
ìThey are not following the constitution. They have placed it on a shelf,î he said.
The four Rajya Sabha seats from J&K have also been vacant since February 2021, following the end of the terms of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Shamsher Singh Manhas, Nazir Ahmad Laway, and Fayaz Ahmad Mir.
The NC leader said his party was only seeking the constitutional rights of the people of J&K.
ìWhen we are part of this country, why are we treated step-motherly? We are only demanding what is rightfully ours,î he said.
Abdullah said that the restoration of J&Kís statehood was not a concession but a constitutional right.
ìStatehood is not a gift – itís the peopleís right, long overdue and repeatedly promised by the ruling government,î he said.
The NC President criticised the Union Territory status as a bottleneck to real governance.
ìJ&K is vast, not just in land, but in its layered culture. Governing it under the limited framework of a UT is like trying to fly a kite without wind,î he said.
Abdullah expressed concern over the attacks on Kashmiri students outside Kashmir following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
ìWe condemned the attack. We had nothing to do with it. Yet Kashmiri students were targeted outside Kashmir. This is the situation,î he said.
The NC leader also criticised Israeli military action in Gaza and Iran.
ìFirst, Israel, backed by the US, killed Muslims in Gaza to displace them from Palestine. Now, they are bombing Iran to destroy it,î he said. ìIsrael cannot succeed in its plans.î
The meeting, chaired by Abdullah, also reviewed party affairs and pressing public issues.
He assured party workers that the Omar Abdullah-led government was prioritising these challenges.
MLA Pulwama Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir, MLA Pampore Husanain Masoodi, former MLA Muhammad Khalil Bandh, NC Provincial President Showkat Mir, Provincial Secretary Syed Tauqeer, and DDC Chairman Syed Bari Andrabi were also present on the occasion.
