Srinagar, Nov 6: NC dissident MLAs on Friday rejected social media reports claiming they planned to form a separate group. The legislators dismissed the rumours after meeting National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
They said the party leadership had agreed to address their genuine grievances. The meeting took place at Dr Farooq Abdullah’s Gupkar residence in Srinagar.
NC Dissident MLAs Describe Meeting as Routine
The legislators called the meeting a routine interaction with the party leadership. They also rejected suggestions that they planned to leave the National Conference.
Explaining their position, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, MLA from Gurez, said:
“We always keep on meeting our President, Dr Farooq Abdullah Sahib, and Omar Sahib to discuss political and other issues. Some social media groups tried to call our routine meetings as some kind of dissent or an attempt to break away from the party.”
Gurezi dismissed the reports as baseless. He said the party leadership had heard their concerns and agreed to address them.
“There is no truth to these rumours. The party leadership has heard our issues. It has been agreed that some of these would be addressed immediately, and some would be addressed in a time-bound manner. That is all,” he told reporters.
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Farooq Abdullah Says National Conference Remains United
Meanwhile, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah appeared relaxed as they emerged from the meeting.
When reporters asked about a possible split, Dr Farooq Abdullah recalled similar attempts in the past. He said those efforts had failed.
“Attempts have been made in the past as well to break the NC. Those have failed in the past, and these will continue to fail in the future,” he said.
Dr Abdullah also confirmed that the legislators had raised genuine concerns. He added that the leadership would address some issues immediately. It would also resolve the remaining concerns within a fixed timeline.
“We met the MLAs of our party today. They raised genuine issues. Some of their issues would be addressed immediately, and others would be resolved in a time-bound manner. The party is united and shall continue to remain united,” Dr Abdullah added.
NC Legislators Stand With Party Leadership
Furthermore, several legislators described as dissidents stood beside Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah during their media interaction.
The group included Mubarak Gul, Abdul Majeed Larmi, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi and Pirzada Farooq Shah, among others.
Their joint appearance came after days of speculation about differences within the party. In particular, reports pointed to disagreements over the recent cabinet reshuffle-cum-expansion.
The meeting appears to have eased immediate tensions within the National Conference. However, the leadership still needs to address the legislators’ demands. It remains to be seen whether it will accept all their demands.
Read More: Crucial Meeting Between CM Omar Abdullah and Dissident Legislators Begins at Gupkar
–IANS
