Srinagar: The National Conference on Friday praised the BJP leadership’s reconciliatory tone and demanded the restoration of pre-August 5, 2019 constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir and the unification of the Union Territories (UT) of Ladakh with J&K.
The statement comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s all-party meeting over the Ladakh face-off with China.
Eleven senior leaders of the NC said in a joint statement that the party noted with satisfaction the change from a hostile and aggressive posture to a conciliatory posture advocated by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
“Statements to create an atmosphere of ‘peace, love and amity’ have no meaning unless the Centre respects the political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We demand immediate annulment of all the 5th August 2019 decisions and restoration of the 4th August 2019 constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir,” the joint statement reads.
The statement was signed by NC president and Member Parliament Farooq Abdullah, MPs Mohammad Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi, besides senior party leaders Mohammad Shafi Uri, Mian Altaf Ahmad, Shammi Oberoi, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Devender Singh Rana, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy and Javaid Rana.
The NC also pointed out the recent statement of BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari that “India was not interested in expansion in land either from Pakistan or China and only wanted peace and amity”.
