Ghulam Nabi Azad: J&K people being misled on Article 370

Srinagar: For the first time indirectly hitting out on National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said many elections were contested on the name of Autonomy and self-Rule and now the people of Jammu and Kashmir are being misled on restoration of article 370.
“I will not say making me leader will give you freedom, restore self-Rule or Autonomy on which several elections were contested and nothing restored, only piles up the graveyards and slogans remain there”, Azad said while addressing a public rally in south Kashmir today.
Azad said I will guarantee restoration of statehood, secure land and job, but not guarantee to bring back article 370 to Jammu and Kashmir.
“I cannot make false promises that I will bring back article 370. However, I promise you to provide an honorable and prosperous development so that all people could live peacefully including Gujjar and Bakarwals”,
He said “I pray that the supreme court could start the hearing on article 370, but unfortunately it is over three years now and the file is still pending in the coroner”.
‘When they (supreme court) pick up the file and start hearing on it and how much time it will take and what judgment they announce… could anybody from the valley give guarantee that he will put pressure on the supreme court to hear the case and announce a decision in six months in our favour”, he questioned…Ghulam Nabi Azad is not going to say so. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not put pressure on the Supreme court. Because the supreme court is “supreme”, he added.
“Whosoever promises to bring back article 370 before the public, but I ask them what happened to earlier promises they made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir”, Azad questioned.
He said, if he came to power there would be no false encounters and nobody would be killed in fake encounters. “I guarantee you statehood and land and jobs for Jammu and Kashmir people only”, he added. (UNI)