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NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah once again reiterated that the state has "conditionally acceded to India" and that "Article 370 is non negotiable and we won’t let anyone rob our rights."
Addressing an election rally in Central Kashmir's Budgam District, the Chief Minister said that his party National Conference will “never give up its demand of reversing the erosions in Article 370 and will keep striving for the restoration of Internal Autonomy in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Without naming BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Abdullah said that those against Article 370 should learn from history.
“Those entities that are desirous of a debate on Article 370 should read history and know that the State of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India based on basic, constitutionally validated conditions that were put in place by Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah" Abdullah, who is also the working president of National Conference said.
Lambasting the PDP, Congress and BJP, he was emphatic that Article 370 is "non negotiable”.
"Let me make it very clear to the BJP, Congress and the PDP that Article 370 is non-negotiable and the only debate one needs to have on Article 370 is about its restoration to its original, pristine form,” the Chief Minister said. "I have said this on the floor of the Assembly, I have said this as the elected Chief Minister of this State and I say so today as a proud citizen of this State who will never allow any political force to rob us of our rights,”he added.
Abdullah accused PDP patron and Chief Ministerial Candidate Mufti Mohammad for supporting the imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Kashmir, and for having worked with governments planning to abrogate Article 370.
“I want to ask Mufti Sahab if he is so concerned about Article 370 today, why was he a major player in successive machinations that were launched to erode Article 370? Was Mufti Sahab not a part of the Cabinets in J&K which signed orders making erosions in Article 370?” the Chief Minister said.
He said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were aware of Mufti’s role in imposing AFSPA in the state, and unleashing former Governor Jagmohan on Kashmiris.
BJP in both the Lok Sabha and now Assembly elections has spoken of abrogating Article 370. An adverse response, particularly during the first two phases of the ongoing state elections, silenced PM Modi to a point where during a recent election visit to Jammu he did not speak about the article but focused entirely on dynastic politics in the state, in reference to the PDP, NC and the Congress party.
