Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 2: National Conference Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that the State faces threat to its special status from Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), RSS and their allies.
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Addressing an election campaign rally at Pattan, Omar said that the BJP-RSS and its cronies in the State are trying their level best to destroy the special status of our State. “Our state is facing onslaught on its special status and integrity. We are continuously seeing unremitting attacks on the identity and integrity of our State. The agenda of BJP is clear now from the sordid statements of BJP party president Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, who have forcefully undertaken to remove Art 35-A”, he said.
“Moreover the speech which I made the other day, where I had asked for the restoration of the post of Sadar-e-Riyasat and Wazir Azam for the State as provided by the original scheme of Accession, was disliked by the PM Modi. But I didn’t ask anything new. PM Modi should ponder over history books and see under what conditions the accession was carried out. He should study how the constitution of India conferred upon the state certain allowances in terms of having its own flag and constitution. The state had its own Prime Minister and president until 1965. We aren’t saying anything new we are asking for what was infringed upon”, Omar said.
“One one side you are saying that people of the State should not raise question over accession, but on the other side, you are openly raising questions on the conditions on which the accession took place. What kind of justice is this? Please make me understand. Modi can raise questions on the conditions with which the State became part of this country. But, people of this place are threatened not to open their mouth on the accession. We have made sacrifices for this State. Our flag is not red due to some colour but the blood of the people who have sacrificed their lives for it”, he said.
The former Chief Minister said that ours coveted demand of restoring autonomy was attested to by the country’s senior leader and former Prime Minister P V Narsima Rao on the floor of Parliament wherein he had emphatically affirmed to grant Autonomy to the State.
Omar said that he will not allow the forces as are inimical to State’s integrity and unique status to succeed in their nefarious designs to destroy the special status of the state. “We will fight for our rights in parliament and even if we have to hit roads we won’t budge from that also. On one hand it is expected of us not to raise question on accession of the state with the union of India but on the other hand people are raising questions on the very fundamentals guiding the accession”, he said.
Omar said that the party has given immense sacrifices for the protection of state’s interests and that the red flag of the party symbolizes the sacrifice and blood of those martyrs. “However we have certain people within our state, which are on the pay role of those forces which are determined to destroy our special character. These people prop up from time to time in various guises and hues. One day they refer to PM Modi as their elder brother and on the other Mehbooba as their sister. These people propped up timely relations with each other for the sake of power. Once out of power they start finding all sorts of discrepancies in one another.”
The NC leader said that election boycott calls have never helped people of Kashmir. “If people vote the fruits of development will reach every hamlet and village. Boycott elections have brought destruction to the state. Unfortunately some people draw their substance from boycott calls. However that should end”, he said.
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