'Like farmers, people of J&K may have to make sacrifices'

Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said the people of Jammu and Kashmir may have to make "sacrifices", as farmers protesting the new farm laws did, to restore its statehood and special status.

Addressing a convention of the NC's youth wing on the occasion of the 116th birth anniversary of party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at his mausoleum at Naseembagh here, Abdullah, however, said his party does not support violence.

After almost a year of protests by farmers, PM had on November 19 announced the decision to repeal the farm laws passed last year to ease rules around the sale, pricing and storage of crops. Parliament passed a bill to repeal the farm laws on the first day of the ongoing Winter Session on November 29.

"(The farmers protested for) 11 months, more than 700 farmers died. The Centre had to revoke the three farm bills when farmers made sacrifices. We may also have to make sacrifices like that to get back our rights.

"Remember this, we have promised to get back 370, 35-A and statehood and we are ready to make any sacrifice," Abdullah said. The NC, however, is not against brotherhood and does not support violence, he said. The Centre revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of J&K and split it into two union territories on August 5, 2019.