Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 28: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that the demand for abrogation of Article 370, granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is fallout of militancy in the State as there was no such demand prior to 1989.
“The only thing that has worked against the people of Jammu and Kashmir is violence. How come Article 370 was not an issue before 1989?” Omar told reporters on the sidelines of a function held in Srinagar. While challenging the BJP to abrogate the Article 370, he said: “Let them abrogate it and then see… We have made our thoughts clear about the dangers of tinkering with Article 370.”
Chief Minister said: “You can’t abrogate Article 370 unless you re-constitute Constituent Assembly. It is the Constituent Assembly that ratified the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India. If you want to re-open it then re-constitute the Constituent Assembly. This is not the way to strengthen the relations. This will alienate people of the State and you will understand it soon.”
Omar said that raising abrogation of Article 370 issue is political compulsion for the BJP. “I can understand the political compulsions of the BJP but let them fulfill other promises first. Why they launched first tirade against Jammu and Kashmir”? he asked.
Chief Minister said that confusion is being created by mixing the Article 370 with State subject laws under which outsiders can’t purchase land in Jammu and Kashmir. “A deliberate confusion is being created surrounding Article 370. It has nothing to do with the purchase of land by outsiders here”, he added.
Omar said that the State subject laws were enacted by the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir to safeguard the interests of people of Jammu. “The state subject laws were enacted by Maharaja of the State to safeguard the interests of the people of Jammu. They (people in Jammu) had apprehensions that rich Punjabis will purchase their land. If under these circumstances, the state subject laws are changed, no one will come to Kashmir to buy land, it will be done in Jammu. It is a safeguard for the people and not a road block for investments in the State”, he added.
Chief Minister said that problem of lack of investment in the State is due to turmoil and not due to Article 370. “The problem of investment is due to turmoil in the State. Did anyone complaint before 1989? Factories were being set up everywhere. The State subject laws were not impediments then. This is not the only State where these state subject laws are in vogue, there are other States as well. Let them talk against those States”, he dared the BJP.
Omar feels that the statement of Dr Jitendra Singh was an emotional one after seeing himself on the top post. “I think it is an emotional outburst from the Minister. He didn’t expect to be on this top post of working in Prime Minister’s Office. He should have controlled his emotions. He realized it after his statement and withdrew it but by then damage had already been done”, he said.
Chief Minister wanted to know the stakeholders with whom the talks on the abrogation of the Article 370 have been started by the BJP. “He (Minister) said that the talks on the issue have already been started. I want to know to whom they are talking. If you say, we are doing it with stakeholders and then I, as Chief Minister, am a stakeholder. I am an elected representative of the people. No one spoke to any of the members of my party on the issue. I didn’t hear from any political party that they have been consulted on this issue. If you say we have spoken to stakeholders, let me know who they are”, he said.
Omar said: “It is a fact that Article 370 is a constitutional link between the State and rest of the country and if it is removed what is left and that is the question we are asking Dr Jitendra Singh and the BJP.”
Earlier, the National Conference this morning held meeting of its core group that was presided over by NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah to discuss the statement of the BJP Minister. The core group condemned the statement on abrogation of Article 370. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Abdul Rahim Rather, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mian Altaf Ahmad, Ch. Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Ajay Sadhotra, Nasir Aslam Wani and Devender Singh Rana.
Senior NC leader and Rural Development Minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar, told reporters after over an hour’s meeting of the core group at Chief Ministers residence that statement is aimed at endangering the integrity of the country. “We strongly condemn the statement on Article 370. It amounts to endangering the integrity of the country. The core group said that sentiments of the people of the State were hurt by this statement. All the parties in the State irrespective of their ideology should condemn this statement”, he said.
The NC today held protests at district headquarters across Kashmir valley to protest against the statements and posturing on Article 370. NC Provincial President Kashmir Nasir Aslam Wani led a protest march in Srinagar while it was led by district presidents of respective districts at their headquarters.
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