Srinagar, Feb 05 (KNO): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the National Conference (NC) is committed to restoring the special status of Jammu & Kashmir.
Winding up the discussion on the Lieutenant Governor’s Address, Omar, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that they remain fully committed to the promises made to the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
“National Conference and this Government stand by the promises made to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, with the restoration of J&K’s special status at the top of the agenda,” he said.
Responding to remarks by Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma that there was no mention of Article 370 in the resolution passed by the Assembly in its first session, Omar said Article 370 has not been removed from the Constitution of India.
“You (BJP) have not removed Article 370 from the Constitution. Had you removed it, I would have said it is necessary to re-insert it into the Constitution. That provision is still part of the Constitution. You have hollowed it out and snatched our special position. The day you remove Article 370, the next day we will bring a resolution on Article 370,” he said.
The CM said that Jammu & Kashmir is constitutionally bound to the country through Article 370. “You cannot remove it because Jammu & Kashmir’s relationship with the country is constitutionally connected by it,” he said.
The CM also asked why the BJP was delaying the fulfillment of its promise to restore Jammu & Kashmir’s statehood. “Your biggest promise was the restoration of statehood. It was part of your manifesto. Why are the people of Jammu & Kashmir being made to wait for the restoration of statehood? What is their fault? You asked the people to participate in the parliamentary elections, assuring them that they would get statehood. They came out to vote in large numbers. You spoke of a three-stage process: delimitation, elections, and then statehood,” he said.
The CM said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi should abolish the Union Territory with a legislature system, saying such a decision will be beneficial for people.“ “It is a fact that working in a Union Territory is problematic. If our Prime Minister wants to give a gift to this country, he should do away with the UT system with the legislature,” he said—(KNO)