National Conference to go alone in next J&K Assembly elections: Farooq Abdullah

Udhampur: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday announced that his party would contest the next assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir alone, saying it was confident of securing a massive mandate on its own.

"We won't have an alliance with any party," he said addressing workers here this afternoon. A stable, strong and people friendly government was the answer to problems facing Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

"Immediately after forming the government, the National Conference will bring a legislation in the first assembly session with regard to regional autonomy," he said adding they will empower every segment of the society and every region and sub-region politically and economically.

He asked the party cadre to gear up for the big challenge and strengthen the NC.

Abdullah attacked the BJP, accusing it of "dividing the nation on religion" and alleged that the present dispensation had negated the vision of freedom fighters who made sacrifices to free India from the shackles of British rule.

"At that point of time, the freedom stalwarts did not think in terms of Hindus, Muslims or Sikhs but their paramount mission was to seek freedom for India, the abode of all faiths," he said, adding that the divisive forces have trampled the spirit of freedom.

He, however, exuded confidence that this gloomy era will be over soon and the day will come when the "India of Mahatma Gandhi" will be retrieved again.

Attacking the RSS, Abdullah alleging that during the freedom struggle its top brass had praised the British and now its ranks were honouring the killer of Father of Nation.

During the 1975 emergency, he said the RSS supported Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, according to a book penned by Rajeshwar Rao, and said that the support was in lieu of forced family planning drive.

Abdullah also questioned the neutrality of the BJP led NDA government over the US acknowledgement of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"Like United Kingdom, France and other countries, New Delhi should have taken a position over the disputed status of Jerusalem," he said.

The NC chief also referred to the circumstances leading to safe passage of terrorists at Kandhar during the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as prime minister and said the situation has now taken such a turn that India's pleas in the United Nations over declaration of Maulana Azhar as a global terrorist was being vetoed by China.

"The BJP should have some sort of introspection and must remember the nation wants sacrifices," he said and accused the party of sowing seeds of hate and intolerance.

The NC will have to play its designated role in strengthening bonds of amity and brotherhood between various segments of society and the three regions of the state, he said.