Vote against changes bought in August 2019: Abdullah

While campaigning for the NC’s Srinagar parliamentary candidate Ruhullah Mehdi, Abdullah addressed a public meeting in Khanyar in Srinagar’s Old City

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday addressed a rally in Old City Srinagar urging people to vote against the changes brought in J&K on August 5, 2019.

Farooq Abdullah, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir addressing his supporters during the election campaign rally of their candidate Ruhullah Mehdi in Srinagar on Saturday. (AFP)

While campaigning for the NC’s Srinagar parliamentary candidate Ruhullah Mehdi, Abdullah addressed a public meeting in Khanyar in Srinagar’s Old City.

Abdullah asked people to check who was manning the offices in the civil secretariat.

“In secretariat, how many are Kashmiris or from Jammu, all are outsiders. DCs, police SPs- all are from outside… Do we have to fight against this or not?” he added.

He urged people to vote keeping in mind the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019 when Article 370 was revoked by the parliament. “You have to show them today that the decision of August 5, 2019 was not acceptable,” he said.

Farooq, who is the incumbent MP from Srinagar, is not fighting the elections because of his age.

As many as 24 candidates are in fray for the Srinagar constituency, which apart from all the eight constituencies of Srinagar, also has parts of Budgam, Pulwama, Ganderbal and Shopian districts. NC’s Ruhullah Mehdi is pitted against People’s Democratic Party’s Waheed ur Rehman Parra and Apni Party’s Mohammad Ashraf Mir.

Abdullah said that people have to assert their right to their state. “They never wanted our development or the protection of our identity. This time you have to convey to them that we are not your slaves. We are the owners of this land,” he said.

He also asked people to be cautious of the EVM machines as well. “When you go to vote, check whether the light blinks and the machine beeps or not. Also check with the paper slip whether the vote was for the party you voted for or otherwise,” he said.

NC youth leader Salman Sagar said that the presence of a large number of people in the rally indicated that the people were against the destruction of their democratic rights on August 5, 2019.

“June 4 (results) will prove whether the people here accepted the decision of August 2019… The agenda of BJP , which they fulfilled, was anti-Kashmiri, anti-Muslim and anti-J&K,” he alleged.

He claimed that INDIA bloc candidates will win in all the six seats of J&K and Ladakh. “The people will reject August 5, 2019, decisions,” he said.