Will continue to fight for restoration of Article 370, asserts Omar Abdullah

Omar also said that his party was not on the roads or misleading the public for the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state

On a day when Ghulam Nabi Azad categorically ruled out the restoration of Article 370, National Conference (NC) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah vowed that his party will continue fighting “democratically, constitutionally and politically" for its restoration.

"NC will continue to fight democratically, constitutionally, and politically for restoration of Article 370, which was abrogated by the Centre three years ago. The NC, which has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision announced by the Centre on August 5, 2019, has a strong case," Omar said at a conclave here.

The former chief minister added that his party was not on the roads or misleading the public for the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state. "I am not among those who will give up (on Article 370)… we have faith in the Supreme Court but our only request is that at least it should listen to us. We believe that our case is strong," he said.

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The Abdullah scion also belied the BJP government's claims of large-scale development post abrogation of Article 370.

"I have not seen anything new on the ground," he said and added that people were fed up with the Central rule and called for an assembly election soon to end the political uncertainty in the region.

Earlier in the day Ghulam Nabi Azad, who broke his five-decade-long association with the Congress last month, said he will not allow political parties in Kashmir to exploit and mislead people in the name of Article 370.

"Political exploitation killed one lakh people in Kashmir and orphaned five lakh children since 1990. I will not seek votes on falsehood and exploitation," he said in an apparent reference to the NC and the PDP.