Srinagar, Sep 7: The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq Monday said the restoration of statehood, the reservation policy and the release of Jammu & Kashmir youth languishing in jails were raised by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. He said that these important matters were forcefully taken up during the meeting held in recent days.
As per a party statement issued, he reiterated that the National Conference has already made it clear that the party itself will decide the place, time, nature and scale of any protest. Whether a protest will be large or limited, and whether it will involve ten people or ten thousand, will be decided by the party leadership. He said that during the march towards the BJP headquarters, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly had participated. “It was not a general public protest; it was an expression by elected public representatives and prominent party functionaries,” he said.
Tanvir Sadiq said that the National Conference did not participate in the protest to demonstrate its strength or to show anything to anyone. “We went there to remind the authorities of the commitments made to the people of Jammu & Kashmir—whether those commitments were made by the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister or the Supreme Court of India,” he said.
While responding to media queries with reference to party’s march towards BJP headquarters, Tanvir Sadiq said that the party’s reference was to the central leadership of the BJP, including the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister, who had made commitments to the people of Jammu & Kashmir regarding the restoration of statehood at the earliest.
He said that the National Conference would continue its political struggle and protests for the rights and legitimate demands of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. However, he reiterated that the nature of the protest, the people who would participate and the intervals at which such programmes would be held would be decided by the National Conference itself.
Responding to a question regarding September 8, Tanvir Sadiq said that the National Conference would tomorrow observe the 44th death anniversary of its founder and revered leader, Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, with due reverence and respect.
