Farooq leads NC protest, will meet PM

National Conference veteran Farooq Abdullah, who is believed to be unhappy with his son Omar Abdullah’s lightweight response to the Kashmir unrest, limited mostly to the social media in the form of tweets, is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and request him to initiate a dialogue with the separatists and Pakistan in order to end the stalemate. Farooq Abdullah, who has launched a scathing attack on the PDP-BJP government for its failure to end street protests, aims to rejuvenate his own party and has started a public contact programme across Jammu and Kashmir. Despite winter setting in, Farooq Abdullah is active at his residence. When asked how he viewed the current situation, he said that any delay on part of the Central government to intervene and initiate a dialogue might mean that Kashmir will slip out of their hands. “If the Central government will not pay heed to what the youngsters are demanding on the streets, it would be too late,” he said.

Farooq Abdullah said that he would visit Doda and Bhaderwah as the Muslims in those areas were feeling insecure due to RSS’ alleged “marches on the streets”. “I will not allow the RSS to start their ugly games in Jammu,” he told this newspaper. Farooq Abdullah, who also visited the border areas including Poonch and Rajouri where people have been displaced due to shelling, is mobilising his party’s cadre as he feels with the ruling People’s Democratic Party in the backfoot, the NC stands a good chance to win back the people’s trust. He asked his younger brother Mustafa Kamal to protest outside Mehbooba Mufti’s residence in Srinagar, demanding the release of arrested youths. Farooq along with his party delegation met J&K Governor N.N. Vohra on Tuesday, urging him to impress upon the Central Government to open the doors of dialogue with the separatists. Farooq Abdullah has also urged the state government to postpone all examinations as requested by the students and not to make it a political issue. He said that the Mehbooba Mufti government was trying to politicise the exam issue. He said that the state government should first restore the confidence of the students by halting the night operations, random arrests and thrashing of youngsters on the streets.