Future elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be fought not for roads, electricity and water but for identity, said former chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah.
“Whenever it will be held, it will be fought for our identity. People in large numbers must participate in it, so that the land, jobs and other rights will be there for the locals,” he said, addressing the party workers at Dooru in south Kashmir's Anantnag on Tuesday.
Abdullah said the promises made by the BJP after the abrogation of Article 370 have proven to be a farce. “Three years have passed. Forget about new projects, they failed to complete even the existing projects,” said the NC leader.
Abdullah questioned the rationale behind the government’s proposed move to give a unique ID to every household. “When people already have Aadhaar, PAN and other numbers, what is this unique ID for?,’’ he asked.
He termed it another attack on people's identity, saying such family ID system is found nowhere in India. By creating this ID, the government is trying to ensure that J&K residents are known by numbers and not by names, he alleged.
“If we want to save our identity and get rid of these numbers, people must participate in assembly elections and answer them with our votes,” he said.
Abdullah recalled how he and other leaders from the state were kept in jail on August 5, 2019—when the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir—after they were accused of being responsible for the current situation of the state.
The NC leader also informed that party president Farooq Abdullah will join the Rahul Gandhi- led Bharat Jodo Yatra at Lakhanpur.