Jammu and Kashmir: NC delegation meets Farooq, Omar

The delegation said the election mandate has to be signed by party president Farooq Abdullah, who was detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) since last month.

NC provisional president, Jammu, Devender Rana led a 15-member NC delegation, met Dr Farooq and Mr Abdullah here, a day after Governor Satya Pal Malik allowed the meeting. The NC delegation flew into Srinagar from Jammu early on Sunday to meet the two former chief ministers.

Dr Farooq is under detention at his Srinagar residence while his son Mr Abdullah is lodged at a state guest house.

Answering a question whether NC will fight the upcoming BDC elections, Mr Rana said, "even if we want to contest the BDC elections, the 380 panchayats that exist, the mandate has to signed by party president Farooq Abdullah, who has been unfortunately detained under PSA".

“Let them be released first and then the working committee of the party will meet and formulate a strategy,” he added.

The NC leader said if the political process has to start, then mainstream leaders have to be released.

Mr Raina said that the father-son duo is well and in high spirits though pained by the detention of the people, lockdown and overall developments in the state. “We are happy that they are both well and in high spirits. Of course, they are pained by the detention, lockdown and overall developments in the state,” Mr Raina told reporters after meeting Dr Farooq.

The NC had on Thursday urged the Governor to allow a delegation of senior party leaders from Jammu to meet the NC president and vice-president.

The Adviser to the J&K Governor, Farooq Khan, had earlier said that political leaders of Kashmir will be ‘released one by one’ after analysis of every individual.

Meanwhile, in a resolution unanimously adopted earlier in the week, the NC leaders pledged to strengthen bonds of communal harmony, unity, togetherness and inclusive democratic polity a long-cherished agenda set for the state by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.

“It also pledged to strive for strengthening the bonds of unity so that the pristine glory of Jammu and Kashmir is restored. The meeting placed on record the role played by the National Conference during most testing times in maintaining and sustaining democratic and secular ethos of the state and pledged to work to safeguard the interests of the people of the state so that they are not deprived of rights and privileges,” it said.