Srinagar, Jun 15: Terming the accession of Jammu and Kashmir “conditional”, the ruling National Conference on Tuesday lashed out at the Centre claiming that it had repeatedly violated the conditions of accession which provided for special status to the state.
“The accession (of Jammu and Kashmir) to the Union was on certain conditions which were explained by Maharaja Hari Singh and accepted by the Centre,” a spokesman of the National Conference said here.
The spokesman was reacting to a statement of Congress leader Makhan Lal Fotedar, who was quoted in sections of media today saying the accession of the state to India was final.
“The accession of Jammu and Kashmir is final. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was not even born when it (instrument of accession) was signed,” Fotedar reportedly said.
The NC spokesman said Centre had repeatedly violated the conditions of accession which provided for special status to the state under Article 370 of the Constitution.
“Centre betrayed Shiekh Muhammad Abdullah when he was undemocratically and unconstitutionally dismissed as Prime Minister (of J&K) on August 9, 1953,” the spokesman said.
He said the 1975 Indira-Abdullah accorded was aimed at restoring the 1952 autonomous position and all powers under Article 370 to the state.
“The withdrawal of support (by Congress) to Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah government in 1977 was another betrayal,” the spokesman said.
He said whenever the Centre felt the state was slipping away from its grip, “it fell at the feet of Sher-e-Kashmir and Farooq Abdullah to take over the governance of the state”.
Meanwhile, hard line Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani also joined the issue saying “accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India is the biggest historical fraud in south Asia”.
“To term it (accession) as final is like calling a day as a night. It is the most unrealistic stand,” Geelani said in a statement. PTI
