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‘Omar Abdullah deliberately hurting Congress in rest of India '

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New Delhi, April 2: The National Conference (NC) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is deliberately hurting the Congress in rest of India, say J&K Congress leaders.

The Congress and the NC are alliance partners for the Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Omar Abdullah

J&K Congress leaders tell One India on the condition of anonymity that the alliance with the state parties like, the NC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been putting them in a catch-22 situation. The Congress also forged an alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir in the past.

"The problem with the Kashmir centric political parties like the NC and the PDP is that they deliberately give provocative political statements, which they also know are impossible to implement. Omar's rhetoric about restoring the posts of 'president' and 'prime minister ' in Jammu and Kashmir is the latest example of it," says a Jammu based Congress leader.

[People are fed up, Kashmir needs a single party rule: Omar Abdullah][People are fed up, Kashmir needs a single party rule: Omar Abdullah]

He adds that such attention seeking statements often leave the Congress in a fix in Jammu, Ladakh, and rest of the country.

"We find it difficult in going before the voters while keeping a mum over such anti-national statements. The NC and the PDF have to do politics in Kashmir, but the Congress has a political presence across the country," says the leader.

He asserts that leaders like Omar having a presence in six Lok Sabha seats of the state create trouble for the Congress that is present across the country.

"Look how Prime Minister Modi has picked up the issue to beat not only the Congress but its other alliance partners black and blue. Omar's one statement has damaged the political prospects of the Congress not only in other parts of Jammu and Kashmir but in the rest of India. He has given ammunition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Modi that they have been looking for," the Congress leader said.

Addressing a rally in Bandipora on Monday, Abdullah said that after accession with India, J&K had Sadr-e-Riyasat (President) and Wazir-e-Azam (Prime Minister) and by the grace of God we shall bring back these posts.

Jammu and Kashmir had its own President and Prime Minister until 1965 when these posts were replaced by the governor and the chief minister.

[NC's LS candidates will protect J&K's special status, says Omar Abdullah][NC's LS candidates will protect J&K's special status, says Omar Abdullah]

Prime Minister Modi picked up this issue while addressing a rally in Hyderabad on Monday and cornered not only the Congress but Trinamool chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar by asking if they agreed with Abdullah.

Modi said: "Two prime ministers for Hindustan? Do you agree with it? Congress has to answer and all the 'mahagathbandhan' partners have to answer. What are the reasons and how dare he say that?"

Another Congress leader from Ladakh alleges that Omar Abdullah and the BJP have been playing politics to cater to their base and the Congress is left confused.

"Omar deliberately kick-started Twitter war over the issue by interacting with the tweet from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handle. He knew that the more this issue is highlighted is better for the NC and the BJP," the Congress leader said.

The BJP has been historically opposed to the special rights provided to Jammu and Kashmir.

OMAR TRYING TO CORRECT MISTAKES OF GRANDFATHER

A Kashmiri journalist tells this scribe that the Omar Abdullah is trying to correct mistakes of his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah, who for the post of Chief Minister had agreed for an accord with late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 by compromising Kashmiri interests.

It is notable that Sheikh had become chief minister of the state with Congress support after the 1975 accord although his party did not have a single legislator in the state assembly at that time.

The accord was signed by Sheikh's emissary, Mirza Afzal Beg, and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's emissary, G. Parthasarthy.

The clause 2 of the Accord says: The residuary powers of legislation shall remain with the State; however, Parliament will continue to have power to make laws relating to the prevention of activities directed towards disclaiming, questioning or disrupting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India or bringing about cession of a part of the territory of India or secession of a part of the territory of India from the Union or causing insult to the Indian National Flag, the Indian National Anthem and the Constitution.

The journalist questioned if the posts of Sadr-e-Riyasat and Wazir-e-Azam were so important for the National Conference then why did Sheikh not settle them in 1975 itself?

Clause 6 of the Accord says: No agreement was possible on the question of nomenclature of the Governor and the Chief Minister and the matter is therefore remitted to the Principals.

[Farooq Abdullah faces political greenhorns in prestigious Srinagar LS seat][Farooq Abdullah faces political greenhorns in prestigious Srinagar LS seat]

The journalist said that the terms of the 1975 accord were never fulfilled after the Sheikh came to power and particularly he did not do anything to restore posts of Sadr-e-Riyasat and Wazir-e-Azam.

"The Indira-Sheikh Accord was a watershed moment in the Kashmir politics. Therefore, of late the NC leadership is trying to misguide people that Sheikh did not sign the 1975 Accord. In fact, the NC 's lust for power is the main reason behind all the bloodshed in Kashmir. Everyone knows how Farooq Abdullah rigged 1987 Assembly elections with the help of the Congress Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi," adds the journalist.

The reporter is of the opinion that by raking up issues like President and Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar is inviting troubles for his party only "as if debates over Kashmir start then it would be the National Conference only that will have to answer most of the questions".

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