National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should go through history to understand under which circumstances Jammu and Kashmir became a part of the Union of India.
He was reacting to Modi’s criticism of his demand forrestoration of the sadr-e-riyasat and Prime Minister titles for J&K.
Omar told a public meeting at Pattan that the provision ofsadar-e-riyasat and Prime Minister is “our constitutional right and NationalConference will strive for its restoration at any cost”.
“It is the same constitution which gives us the right ofseparate map, flag and our own constitution. I have not asked for somethingnew. It is part of our constitution. The same constitution whose supremacy theprime minister has acknowledged while taking oath,” said Omar.
“Let the prime minister go through the history of India andsee under which circumstances Jammu and Kashmir joined the Union of India andafter its approval what were the constitutional rights given to the state ofJ&K,” Omar said.
Modi had lashed out at NC for pitching for a separate primeminister and sadr-e-riyasat, saying “major ally of the Congress party, NationalConference, wants to turn the clock back to 1953 when there was a separateprime minister in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Reacting to PM’s remarks, Omar said J&K is not likeMaharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh or any other Indian state whichmerged with the Union of India without any condition.
“Our leaders joined with certain conditions,” he said.
“It is sheer hypocrisy that on the one hand the primeminister can question the conditions of Accession and at the same time askothers to desist from talking about Accession,” Omar added.
Omar reminded BJP leaders about Andhra Pradesh’s top leaderand former prime minister Narsimha Rao’s pledge to the people of Jammu andKashmir that “less than independence if you ask for sky, we will give you”.”Even the tallest BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said that ‘Kashmir issuecan be resolved through insaniyat, kashmiriyat and jhamooriyat’. When I say thesame thing why such hue and cry,” he said.
Regarding assaults on the special status of the state, Omarsaid attempts are being made by the BJP and RSS leaders to abrogate the Article35A and do away with the special status.
He said from Arun Jaitley to Amit Shah, several BJP leadershave talked about tinkering with the special status and Article 35A.
“These are the biggest challenges to the state whichNational Conference will fight with whatever resources available. We won’tallow such powers to mutilate the identity of the people of the state. We willfight for it in Assembly, Parliament and, if needed, on the roads,” said Omar.
Asked by a reporter to comment on BJP president Amit Shah’sremark that abrogation of Article 35A and doing away with special status ofJ&K will resolve Kashmir, Omar said, “It will complicate the issue. Onecan’t remove the special status under Article 370. If they want to end thespecial status and at the same time think of state remaining with the Union ofIndia that is legally impossible. For its removal, there will be a re-talk onAccession. The fact is state of Jammu and Kashmir became part of India onlywhen Union of India gave it special status.”
He said National Conference never backed out whenever therewas the need to defend Article 35A or the special status.
He said it was his party’s conviction that it recentlyprojected Altaf Bukhari as chief minister.
“The aim was not to grab power but to mount a strong defencein Supreme Court to defend Article 35A,” said Omar.
Omar urged people to not boycott elections as this wasbenefitting “those who don’t care for political rights of the people of thestate”.