“Only two things have reduced, I will grant that. Stone pelting is less; I won’t say it’s non-existent as it is not reported, and the government tends to bury the incidents that happen, but it is less. We do know that in the last year or two, there have been incidents of stone pelting linked to deaths of militants or situations in Palestine and what is happening on the ground in Gaza, but the media isn’t allowed to report the incidents that occur and figures don’t reflect it,” he mentioned.
Hartal calls have stopped as these separatist leaders who’re free don’t really feel like giving such calls, and others are in jail, he mentioned. If the separatists have stopped hartals as a result of they’ve given up on their ideology and slogans, “then that’s a good thing”, he added.
“When we were in power, in 2012-2013, there were far less calls. No one likes hartals,” he mentioned.
However, he added that there aren’t any new investments in Kashmir that one can see on the bottom, and figures that present an inflow of vacationers additionally appear “far from the ground reality”.
When requested if the individuals of Kashmir have accepted the abrogation of Article 370, contemplating the absence of protests on the bottom, Abdullah mentioned that the individuals realise that their wrestle goes to be a protracted one.
“The people have neither forgotten nor have they moved on. This is still an issue people have an emotional attachment to. But they realise that nothing is going to change overnight, with this Supreme Court or with this government,” he mentioned.
“People realise that the struggle for J&K and its status and its protection in the Constitution may be a long one,” he added.
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‘CAA has shown Muslims their place’
Speaking about Modi’s go to to Kashmir to inaugurate the renovated Hazratbal shrine Thursday, weeks earlier than the Lok Sabha elections are anticipated to be held — a transfer being seen as a part of the BJP’s outreach to the Muslim neighborhood — Abdullah mentioned quite than growth and enchancment, issues have gone backwards for the shrine.
He added that the inauguration of the shrine doesn’t carry any message of outreach for Muslims because the individuals of J&Ok have gotten the true image with the notification of the foundations of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) Monday.
“The people of J&K got the message from CAA. We know where exactly the BJP stands as far as Muslims are concerned. CAA is exclusionary, it has been designed to exclude Muslims and put us in our place,” Abdullah mentioned.
“We as Muslims probably will be able to find refuge in countries like the UK, France, Canada and elsewhere, but not in a country like India, which was born on secular ideals, which was born of the belief that India is for all. India is not a country where Muslims will be able to find refuge or safety, which tells us where we are,” he added.
Asked about Modi’s remark that this was a brand new J&Ok the individuals of Kashmir had awaited for many years, and that he was relieved to see everybody within the Valley blissful, Abdullah mentioned this may have been an trustworthy assertion by the PM if the group he was addressing had all been there of their very own free will.
He alleged that authorities workers had been compelled to attend that rally.
“I don’t think much happiness would have been visible on the faces of people who were there not by choice, but by force,” he mentioned.
However, he added that if what the PM says is true, then he ought to let individuals vote for the federal government of their selection. “If people are happy and the PM sees that happiness, it will surely manifest in the votes.”
“I am sure he would want nothing more but for that happiness to grow. And for that happiness to manifest itself into votes for his party, the BJP would like to win J&K. Let’s have assembly elections and see how much happiness is there in the eyes of the people for the BJP and the central government,” he mentioned.
‘Bring J&K into the one nation, one election umbrella’
Talking concerning the meeting elections in J&Ok, Abdullah mentioned that PM Modi should push for simultaneous polls (with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections) and embody J&Ok within the “one nation, one election umbrella”.
He mentioned that his social gathering, the NC, has been pushing for simultaneous polls (meeting in addition to Lok Sabha).
“The PM himself has talked about ‘one nation, one election’. If you are looking for that, and assuming that by the next Parliament elections, you will have this process in place, then why not start now? This is a brilliant opportunity to bring in J&K into the one nation one election umbrella by having elections for assembly and Parliament simultaneously,” he mentioned.
He added that J&Ok has not had an election prior to now 10 years. “How long will people wait? We hope the EC will be brave and order elections for both J&K and Parliament at the same time.”
“As far as I know, the Supreme Court has ordered elections to be completed before 30 September this year. So there is no longer any doubt about the assembly elections; the only doubt is if simultaneous polls will take place,” he mentioned.
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‘Door open for understanding with PDP in assembly polls’
When requested if there’s a setback to the INDIA bloc of Opposition events forward of the Lok Sabha elections because the National Conference has determined to contest all three Lok Sabha seats within the Kashmir Valley, which can pit the NC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) — the Valley’s two main mainstream events — in opposition to one another, Abdullah mentioned that the NC could be very a lot a part of the alliance.
He mentioned that, based mostly on all political inputs, previous electoral understanding, and the best way alliances work, it can’t be anticipated that one alliance member provides up a seat to a different.
He mentioned that in 50 p.c of the seats, the National Conference is very happy to work out an electoral understanding with the Congress and that it has been as versatile on this association as attainable.
Furthermore, the National Conference will preserve its door open for some understanding with the PDP within the meeting elections later this yr, he added.
“We will be more than happy if the Congress and the PDP are able to reach a working understanding. If the PDP supports all INDIA alliance candidates in the Parliament election, we will keep our door open for some understanding in the assembly elections later this year,” he mentioned.
“We are a part of the INDIA alliance and we also stand firm to the commitments and ideals and the agenda that the PAGD (People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration) had, so we are not breaking up any alliance,” he mentioned.
‘Once assembly takes shape, BJP will be nowhere’
Reiterating that the NC won’t ever have an alliance with the BJP to kind the federal government in Kashmir, Abdullah mentioned that when the meeting lastly takes form, the BJP can be in no place to be a part of any authorities.
“We never had an electoral alliance with the BJP and we have no intention or interest in any sort of electoral understanding or alliance with the party. I do not believe that when the assembly finally takes shape, the BJP will be in any position to be part of any government,” he mentioned.
Abdullah, nonetheless, added that whichever authorities is elected in J&Ok, it can have a “working relationship with the Centre.”
Taking a jibe at a remark by Modi attacking family-run events, saying they “ruin” the locations they rule — from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu — Abdullah mentioned, “(That) they have nothing new to say is itself indicative.”
“I would like one day for these leaders to be able to come and give the people of J&K some new vision other than this tried and tested one. Maybe one day they will have something else to say,” he added.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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