Srinagar, Oct 24 (HS): Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) president and former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday urged party workers to stay with the party honestly, saying that association with it should be based on principles of honesty and not personal interests. He asked them to stand by the party even when it is not in power.

He was speaking at a gathering of party workers in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.

Addressing the workers, he said: “If you truly want to walk with this party, walk with honesty. Do not be dishonest.”

“Today there is a government, so you are with us. If you want to stay with this party, stay even when we do not have the government. That is how we can move forward and solve people’s problems,” he said.

The NC president said the party never asked the Centre for posts but always demanded facilities for the people. “We never said make us prime minister, make us president. We said remove poverty, provide people with essential facilities such as electricity,” he said.

Recalling his tenure as chief minister, he spoke of his efforts to develop major power projects and of talks with the Centre on handing these projects over to Jammu and Kashmir, and expressed hope that they would be taken back.

“We acceded to the India of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Azad, but we never expected a time would come when Hindus and Muslims would be made to fight each other and the country ruined only for the sake of power. But a time will come when this too will end,” Farooq said.

He urged party workers and media representatives to work without fear.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Zahoor Hussain Bhat