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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has made a telling remark . He has reportedly said that his party the National Conference would not allow any attacks on Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and would seek restoration of terms of accession of the state, including the provision for ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’ (president) and prime minister posts.
Addressing a public meet at Bandipora in north Kashmir, the former chief minister said Jammu and Kashmir’s accession with the Union of India was accomplished in lieu of various constitutional safeguards for the state and if these are tampered with, the entire scheme of accession will be under question.
Omar took to twitter and reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments
It’s not what @JKNC_ wants sir, it’s what the terms of accession guaranteed J&K, it’s what the Constitution of India (the same Constitution you take an oath to uphold) guaranteed J&K. All we ask is what the Constitution gave to J&K. https://t.co/aLHJXacpzO
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 1, 2019
Most grateful to Hon PM Modi Sahib for taking my humble speech & giving it a nation platform. @JKNC_ has always stood for the original terms of accession & will continue to fight for those. For the record we don’t need other parties to endorse our position. https://t.co/bouXajBXy4
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 1, 2019
“We are not like any another state of India. Every other state got merged with the Union of India. We joined our hands with the Union on certain conditions unlike other states of India.
“Does any other state in India have its own flag and constitution? Our handshake with Indian Union was subject to certain conditions,” he said.
Omar Abdullah said after 70 years, forces as are inimical to the state’s special status, were trying to backtrack from the conditions.
“The move will also initiate debate on the fundamentals of accession, there is no second thought about it. It takes two hands to clap,” he said.
He said after the ‘unconstitutional arrest’ of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1953, the state’s special position was ‘unremittingly tampered with to the extent that now it is the pale shadow of what we had achieved from New Delhi’.
“But, we will fight any attempt that is aimed to fiddle with our state’s status. We won’t allow any more assails on our special status. On the contrary, we will strive to get back what was infringed upon.
“We will work towards getting back the coveted posts of ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’ and prime minister for our state,” the NC vice-president said.
