Omar Abdullah: BJP gets to celebrate but we are not allowed to meet in my father's lawn

Jammu, Aug 6: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah took to Twitter on August 5 to say that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gets to celebrate the first anniversary of the repudiation while valley-based leaders cannot meet in his father’s lawn.
Abdullah’s tweet came after a meeting of some political parties called by Jammu and Kashmir's veteran leader and his father Farooq Abdullah on August 5 to debate the situation arising out of the abrogation of Article 370 provisions a year ago could not be held due to strict restrictions obtruded by authorities.
Omar Abdullah, who is the vice president of the National Conference (NC), said the Gupkar Road -- leading to his residence and that of his father -- was sealed by the authorities.
"One year on, this is Gupkar road today - police vehicles opposite our gates, concertina wire strung across the road at regular intervals and no vehicles allowed. My father had called a meeting of leaders of MAINSTREAM parties to deliberate on the current situation," Omar Abdullah tweeted, along with two pictures of the deserted road.
The former chief minister said, "Clearly the meeting is not being allowed to go ahead. The BJP gets to announce a 15-day celebration to mark August 5 and a handful of us aren't allowed to meet in my father's lawn. So much for BJP national leaders wondering why there is no political activity."
The NC leader further said the authorities were "still too afraid" to allow them to meet or carry out any normal political activity.
The senior Abdullah had called a related meeting a day before the Centre's move last year where the leaders of the valley-based political parties came up with a 'Gupkar Declaration' in which they rectified to fight against any attempts to abrogate the constitutional provisions that guaranteed the special status to Jammu and Kashmir or any move to trifurcate the state using democratic means.