Shillong, August 20: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday criticised the National Conference (NC) for misguiding the people by promising the restoration of Article 370 and supporting dialogue between India & Pakistan in its poll manifesto.
Former J&K Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta on Tuesday accused the NC of misguiding the people by making misleading promises.
Gupta alleged that even today the NC is exploiting the people and spreading terrorism and nepotism.
“To hold talks with Pakistan is not the prerogative of the NC. These are political freebies and the people now fully understand the concerns of security, unity and integrity,” he said.
Gupta also spoke of an improved security situation and a better sense of unity among the people after the abrogation of Article 370.
He said that the things the NC is promising to the people are not in their hands. “How will they release the prisoners and restore Article 370,” Gupta wondered.
The National Conference (NC) released its manifesto on Monday promising the restoration of Article 370, statehood, amnesty to political prisoners, autonomy for J&K, return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, encouraging dialogue between India and Pakistan and a host of other things in its poll manifesto.
NC Vice President Omar Abdullah appealed to the people to choose the NC to run the government for the next five years while expressing regret that the Jamaat-e-Islami was not fighting these elections.
The manifesto promises the implementation of the autonomy resolution passed by the erstwhile Assembly in 2000.
The long manifesto also promises efforts to secure the release of prisoners languishing in jails, revocation of the Public Safety Act (PSA), address “unjust” terminations of employees, put an end to harassment of people on highways, protect land and employment rights of the people of J&K, and transfer of hydro-electric power projects to Jammu and Kashmir.
It also promises freebies like 200 units of electricity, 12 LPG cylinders to economically weaker sections each year for free, providing a comprehensive job package, one lakh jobs to youths, and filling up all vacancies in government departments within 180 days of coming to power.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a 3-phase legislative Assembly poll in J&K beginning on September 18 and ending on October 1.
Counting is scheduled to be held on October 4 and the entire poll process will end by October 6.
J&K has been without an elected government since 2018 when the BJP pulled out of the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP government. J&K came under the Governor’s rule and the then-governor, Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Assembly.
On August 5, 2019, Article 370 was abrogated and J&K was bifurcated into two UTs of J&K and Ladakh. (IANS)