National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday said Jammu and Kashmir Governor S P Malik has assured his party that no moves are planned on repealing articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution, or the state’s trifurcation.
However, the former J&K chief minister said hewants an assurance on these issues from the Centre in Parliament on Monday as”the Governor is not the final word on Jammu and Kashmir”.
Abdullah and some of his party colleagues met theGovernor on Saturday on these issues. “He assured us that there was nomovement on (repealing) Article 370 or Article 35A or delimitation (ofconstituencies in the state),” Abdullah told reporters here.
The Governor also issued a statement after themeeting, saying the state has no knowledge of any changes to Constitutionalprovisions and assured that the deployment of additional paramilitary forceswas purely for security reasons.
Abdullah said he has asked his party MPs to move amotion in Parliament on Monday seeking a statement from the Union government onthe situation that has developed in Jammu and kashmir over the past few weeks.
The NC delegation’s meeting with the Governor comesa day after the state administration issued a travel advisory to Amarnath Yatriand tourists asking them to cut short their sojourn and return as soon aspossible. The travel advisory came after the Army said there was a terrorthreat to the pilgrimage.
Abdullah told reporters Saturday, “We wantthat on Monday the Centre also make a statement in the parliament to explainwhat was the need for issuing the order for vacating pilgrims and tourists. Wewant to hear from the Parliament that the people here need not worry.
“The Governor has assured us but the Governoris not the final word on Jammu and Kashmir. The final word on Jammu and Kashmiris of Government of India. Now, we want to hear from Government of India in theParliament what is their intention about Jammu and Kashmir and what is theirassessment of the situation here,” he said.
Abdullah said his party MPs have already raised theissue in Lok Sabha last time through a calling attention notice but “Iwould request them to give another notice on Monday to raise this issue again.We will try to seek an answer from the government on this.”
Asked about the meeting between Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and a National Conference delegation on Thursday, Abdullah saidthey were satisfied after the meeting as there was no indication of the threatperception that would have led to steps like evacuation of Amarnath pilgrimsand tourists from the Valley.
“The PM spoke in context of the Governor’sassurance. He said he wanted elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He said he doesnot want any disturbance in the state. He was satisfied that this year has beenbetter than previous years. We came out of that meeting satisfied but I was notexpecting such an order (evacuating pilgrims and tourists) within 24 hours.
“We did not get any indication from the PMthat there was any threat that pilgrims and tourists would need to beevacuated. That’s why the assurance we got from the PM on Article 35A andelections was all good but then this order came,” he added.
Abdullah expressed hope that the Centre willrecognise that it is not in their interest to have a “restive, tense andunsettled” Jammu and Kashmir.
“Anything that the Government of India saysthat will help to settle the stresses and tensions that the people have here isin their interest as much as it is in our interests,” he said.
“The promises made to this state and itspeople have to be kept till eternity. These were not time-bound assurances …We were not told to accede (to India) on certain conditions and then after 70years, these conditions will be changed,” he added.
Abdullah appealed to the people of the state tokeep calm and control their emotions and not take any step that may align withthe aim of the people with vested interests.
“Some people perhaps want that we take the lawin our hands or we come out on the roads or disturb the atmosphere so thattheir objective is achieved but we should not give them an opportunity tosucceed,” he said.
He said the NC will continue to fight politicallyand legally any attempt to damage the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.