Jammu, Sep 1 (PTI) National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday sought the grant of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir before holding elections to the legislative assembly.

Abdullah was addressing National Conference functionaries of Jammu province at the Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here.

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"This is a promise made by the prime minister and the home minister, and it should be kept,” he said.

Abdullah, a former chief minister, said the National Conference will continue to fight for full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

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“The fact is that people overwhelmingly want, rising above political affiliations, the status of Jammu and Kashmir as a state back,” he said, adding that the statehood should not have been snatched in the first place.

The measure has annoyed the people to such an extent that even those in Ladakh too want restoration of permanent residence procedure as per the norms prevalent before August 2019, Abdullah added.

He said the National Conference firmly believes in the Constitution and the supremacy of the Supreme Court.

“We will not backtrack from our stand on these vital issues,” the NC leader said, adding that the party has all along stood for democracy and worked towards strengthening the nation.

Dwelling upon the working of the party, he called upon the cadre to reach out to the people in a big way. He said strengthening the National Conference at the grassroots level is imperative for meeting the challenges faced in Jammu and Kashmir.

The National Conference reflects the urges and aspirations of all segments of the people in all the regions and sub-regions of J-K, Abdullah said.

“We have to collectively work towards realising the urges of the people, which are distinct,” he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)