Omar Abdullah vs PM Modi: On revoking Article 35A and separate president for J&K

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah was embroiled in a passive verbal duel with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on April 1, over the controversial Article 35A.

At a rally in Bandipora, Abdullah said that he would like to bring back the posts of "President" and "Prime Minister" for the state of J&K.

Addressing a rally, the former chief minister said, "Rest of the princely states merged with the country without condition, but we had said that we have our identity, our own constitution. We had our own 'Sadar-e-Riyasat' (President) and 'Wazir-e-Azam' (Prime Minister) too. By God's grace, we will bring that back."

Also read | Here's all you need to know about Article 35A

Omar spoke about the BJP's promises of revoking Article 370 and Article 35A that grant special status to J&K and special rights and privileges to the citizens of the state. Saying that the terms of accession will have to be renegotiated if these Articles were scrapped, Abdullah said, "Obviously, what will be our relationship with this country if you remove that special status. Our relation is on that basis."

Responding to his sentiment, the Prime Minister Modi, who was addressing a rally at Secunderabad in Telangana, said, "He [Abdullah] says we will take the clock back and replicate the situation before 1953 and there will be two Prime Ministers in India, Kashmir will have its separate PM."

National Conference wants 2 PMs, 1 in Kashmir & 1 for rest of India.

Does Mamata Didi agree?
Does U-Turn Babu agree?
Does Pawar Sahab agree?
Does former PM Deve Gowda Ji agree?

Shame on the Opposition!

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Till Modi is there, no one can divide India! pic.twitter.com/hKVS0vgu2d

— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 1, 2019

Modi asked the Congress as to how "their ally could have said such a thing". The Congress and NC had announced that they would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls together. The state has six parliamentary constituencies.

Replying to the PM, Abdullah, in a series of tweets, asserted his stand on Article 35A and said that he did not need their ally's support to fight for the cause.

My party has always stood for the restoration of the terms of accession which Maharaja Hari Singh negotiated for J&K in 1947 & we have done so unashamedly.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 1, 2019