Assembly polls must take place in Jammu and Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah

Assembly elections must take place in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) as the lieutenant governor’s administration cannot resolve the issues of the people, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters in the Baramulla district in North Kashmir, Abdullah also said the elections lead to the formation of a people’s government.

“Elections must take place. Elections lead to the formation of the people’s government and resolve their issues. A lieutenant governor cannot do that,” he said.

On Monday’s meeting called by the Election Commission of India to demonstrate a prototype to enable remote voting for migrant workers and students, the former Union minister said that NC will also attend it.

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“Let them invite. Our party will also go. We will listen to what they have to say, we will also say what we have to,” he said.

Asked about VDC members in Rajouri being provided weapons to fight militants, the former J&K chief minister defended the move, saying "the militancy has to be fought".

“It is not something new and weapons were given in our time (when the NC ruled J&K) as well. The militancy has to be fought,” he said.

To a reporter’s question that if Sonia Gandhi would be on stage when the Bharat Jodo Yatra reaches here, would the issue of the restoration of Article 370 be taken up, Abdullah retorted “you care a lot about (Article) 370”.

He said the yatra was for removing the hatred between communities across the country.

“What is the yatra for? It is for removing the hatred between religious communities, that we all – Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists -- live together is what the yatra is working for. That is what he (Rahul Gandhi) has come out with.

“Yesterday, a Muslim was beaten till he did not utter what he was asked. These issues are a challenge and it is a matter of happiness that Rahul has come on the roads for that,” he said.

On the deadline given by the J&K administration to those who occupy government land under the Roshni scheme, the NC president said that deadlines come and go, adding, “It is not a huge thing”.