Amidst the assembly elections, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and the president of JKNC, Farooq Abdullah hit out at the BJP on the abrogation of Article 370 post which the special status of the state taken back. Speaking at a public rally in the Rajouri district of Kashmir on Monday, he said that people of the Valley have been kept deprived after what happened on August 5, 2019.

Mentioning Raja Hari Singh, the royalty of Kashmir in the pre-independence era, Abdullah said that the king made a rule for the benefit of the inhabitants of Kashmir, for Dongis much before there was a partition in the name of India and Pakistan.

Abdullah advocated for special status

Abdullah stressed the importance of a special status for the state-turned-territory and highlighted the condition of people residing there. Stating the era of the early 20th century, he said that the king made rules so that the people of Punjab who were rich and educated back then, don’t come and buy land and property in the Valley. “If they buy everything over here, and take up the jobs too, where would our people go? Where will Dogri go? The king thought.”, said the NC chief.

#WATCH | Rajouri: JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah says, "…After the abrogation of Article 370, our lands and jobs are being taken from us. People from other states are being given jobs here…This is your land and your children should get these jobs. We promise that we will give… pic.twitter.com/CAsqkUZtBc

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— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024

Resources taken over by others in Valley?

He further added, “Our jobs and land will go to the rich people. Thinking of all this, the king made a rule for the people of his state which later became Article 370 as India became independent.” However, after it was scrapped in 2019, the land and jobs are going to those who belong to other states.

The NC chief who served Jammu and Kashmir for three terms, promised one lakh jobs to the educated youth once his party comes into power in the upcoming elections. He said that the Valley has been taken over by people of other states. Even for the contracts for the government projects, citizens of other states are brought. “Can’t people of Kashmir get those jobs?”, questioned Farooq Abdullah while criticizing the government on its stance over Article 370.

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Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the first phase of assembly elections on September 18 whereas the second phase is scheduled to be on September 25 followed by the third phase on October 1. Results will be declared on October 8. This is the first assembly poll in the valley after the scrapping of Article 370.