Third front doing Centre’s bidding, says National Conference

The National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday criticised the third front, comprising eight senior politicians from the Valley and the Pir Panjal Valley, and accused it of working at the behest of the Centre.

“The so-called third front comprise those who dislodged the government in 1984 when Dr. Farooq Abdullah was the chief minister. These people have got no public appeal and the people have rejected them and will continue to do so,” said NC MP Akbar Lone.

The NC on Tuesday held a meeting of the party functionaries, delegates, block presidents, constituency in-charges and block secretaries, in an apparent move to revive the party’s political activities that came to a halt after August 5.

The meeting comes just a day after a joint delegation — comprising Syed Altaf Bukhari, ex-PDP minister; Ghulam Hassan Mir, president of the Democratic Party Nationalist and ex-minister; Dilawar Mir, ex-PDP minister; Zaffar Iqbal, former MLC; Javed Hassan Beig, Noor Mohammad Shiekh, Choudhary Qamar Hussain and Raja Manzoor Ahmad, all former legislators — met the Lieutenant Governor and demanded restoration of statehood.

“The same people from time to time were being used by the Central government; but I am telling you that we are determined and these forces will not be allowed to succeed. They are similar to that of a use and throw commodity,” said Mr. Lone.

The NC leader said his party is not going to contest elections till the pre-August 5 status is restored and will “not accept domicile laws or land guarantees.”

“These people [of third front] are proposing such things. We will not accept it in any form,” he said.

He said the NC has challenged abrogation of Article 370 in the Supreme Court and pursue the case.

A PDP leader, on the condition of anonymity, said the so-called third front was “a smokescreen to divert local and global attention from real issues faced by the people of J&K.”

Another PDP leader Firdous Tak said it was surprising that those opposing Article 370 are now demanding constitutional guarantees on land and jobs, while referring to the BJP’s promises to safeguard locals’ interests.