SRINAGAR National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Tuesday defended his statement that his party would strive hard for restoring the terms of accession of Jammu and Kashmir, including the provisions for having a ‘sadr-e-riyasat’ and wazir-e-azam in the state.
“I have not said anything wrong. I have only reiterated what is a reality. Is it not true that since the day J&K became the part of the country, it had its own ‘sadar-e-riyasat’ (president) and wazir-e-azam (prime minister) till 1965? Omar asked reporters at Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
He said it was the stand of his party even when he was a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government at the Centre.
In a speech during a rally at Bandipora on Monday, Omar Abdullah had said J&K’s accession with India occurred with various constitutional safeguards for the state and if these safeguards were tampered with, the entire scheme of accession would be under question.
He said the party would fight any attempt to fiddle with the state’s special status.
The NC vice-president also said his party was ready to work with any other party, including the PDP, to safeguard the state’s special status.
“We are ready to work with any one for saving Article 370 and Article 35A. We will fight it out in the courts and even on the roads,” said Omar Abdullah.
“For saving the Article 370 and Article 35A, if we need to take support from anyone or give support to anyone, we will do it, said Omar Abdullah, when asked if the NC would support the PDP on the issue.
He said his party had lent its support to the PDP and the Congress last year to form a government only to safeguard the state’s special status.
“You saw how we tried to make (then PDP leader) Altaf Bukhari the chief minister of the state some months back. Why was it done? It was only to save Article 370 and Article 35A. We gave support to the PDP and Congress that time and if there is a need for more steps in the future, we will take them, he said.
Shows desperation, lack of self- confidence: Sajad Lone
Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Tuesday while reacting strongly to NC vice president Omar Abdullahs statement on getting the posts of Sadr-e-Riyasat and Wazeer-e-Azam said that he conveniently forgets the role of his family legacy for bringing Kashmir to the juncture it is at now.
Addressing a series of workers meetings in Kupwara, Sajad said that it wouldve been very entertaining had it not been so ironic observing Omar Abdullahs puerile tantrums and desperate antics.
Promising everything under the sun, betraying his desperation and lacking self- confidence, he conveniently papers over the role of his family legacy for bringing Kashmir to the juncture it is at now. While he himself may have a distorted sense of history the public memory in Kashmir remains vibrant and receptive to an informed analysis and sense of accountability, he added.
Quite amusing thinking that it was his grandfather who sealed the deal, blocking the revision of the step. While the Congress in 1965 amended the J&K constitution to do away with the terms Sadr-e-Riyasat and Wazeer-e-Azam, the amendment however incorporated a legal provision to reverse the decision. It was Sheikh Abdullah who in 1975 as head of the state facilitated the amendment to article 368 of the Constitution of India which debarred this position from being reversed and made it a permanent feature of the state constitution. So is Omar Abdullah implying the obvious by promising to reverse the amendment, that indeed at the root of every major act of erosion of the special status of J&K his family has a central role, he added further.
NC and PDP have lost regional character: Rasheed
Accusing NC and PDP of leaving Muslim community of Jammu at the mercy of Congress and BJP, AIP President Er. Rasheed Tuesday said that both the parties have lost regional character and have no moral authority to claim even to be the regional parties.
While campaigning for party candidate Shahzad Shabnum Deewan in Ponch and Rajouri areas at various places, Er. Rasheed said that the fact is that as on date no regional voice except AIP is existing on the ground as NC, PDP and PC have either surrendered their conscience or have become concubines of BJP and Congress.
While addressing public gatherings at Mandi, Ponch and other places Er. Rasheed said one has a right to ask Omer Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti if they could mislead masses by not fielding any candidate on two seats of Jammu province, why could they not enter into alliance in Kashmir. How can something be unholy in Kashmir but much holier in Jammu at the same time.
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