LS polls to deicide recourse of the country, J&K for next half-a-decade: Farooq

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Friday said that ongoing parliamentary elections are important since it will decide the recourse of the country and the state for the next half a decade.
“Today country is yearning for change; it is the country’s secular progressive visage that has been dented since BJP came to power in 2014. However the ensuing elections provide us an opportunity to boot out a government that has failed out on every conceivable matrix. Our state, in particular continued to be at receiving end all along since Modi took the reins of power,” Dr Abdullah said after offering Friday prayers at Hazratbal shrine.
He alleged the calamitous embrace of PDP with BJP opened the flood gates for such forces in the state as want to destroy our identity. “Had the PDP not embraced BJP-RSS combine, things would have been much different on ground today. Today it is NC verses all, on one hand you have NC who has been giving sacrifices to protect the sanctity of our state flag, and on the other you have the cronies of BJP-RSS who can go to any extent to destroy the state’s identity for petty political gains. We have to remain vigilant of their machinations,” he alleged.
Meanwhile earlier, an NC spokesperson said that noted educationalist Sheikh Gayas Ud Din joined the party on Friday in the presence of Ex-MLA Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar at the residence of Dr Farooq.
Welcoming Sheikh Gayas Ud Din into the party fold, Dr Abdullah said, “I am hopeful that the party will benefit from his experience in public life. The need of the hour necessitates for forging unity to trounce the machinations of those who are hell bent to destroy the special status of our state. We are seeing forces coming forth in different hues holding lotus and apples, their main intend is to destroy the identity and integrity of our state. Need of the hour demands us to show unity to trounce such forces which are contriving to infringe upon the constitutional safe guards conferring special status to our state.”
Disallowing transportation of live stock by Gujjar Bakarwal community on Highway insensitive, ridiculous: Mehbooba
Srinagar: Taking strong exception to the restrictions being imposed on transportation of live stock by Gujjar Bakerwal community on Jammu Srinagar highway, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister has termed the move as insensitive and demanded its immediate revocation.
“Administration in Jammu & Kashmir is on a spree of taking ridiculous decisions one after another. Not allowing nomads/ Gujjars bakerwal community members to transport their live stock from Jammu to Valley is an insensitive one, as, they cannot wait until elections are over, “Mehbooba said.
At a time when seasonal migration of the Nomadic community along with their live stock has commenced, the administration has order a ban on such a movement till the general elections are over. This has put the tribal nomadic community at great stress as such a delay in their movement from Jammu towards the valley is impractical.
Mehbooba mufti, while terming these restrictions as insensitive and unacceptable has taken up the matter with the governor S P Malik and demanded immediate revocation of the same.
“I have taken up the matter with Governor who has assured me all help,” She added.