Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah claimed on Tuesday that former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had agreed to restore executive posts like Sadr-e-Riyasat (president) and Wazir-e-Azam (prime minister) to J&K.
He said Mr Rao had in a televised address in the West African state of Burkina Faso approved of J&K having a Sadr-e-Riyasat and Wazir-e-Azam. “He has on record said that ‘as far as giving autonomy to the state of J&K is concerned, the sky is the limit’,” Dr Abdullah, who is seeking re-election to the Lok Sabha from his home constituency of Srinagar, said.
He said: “When he came back I asked him that much of the special status has been eroded since 1953, to which he answered that once in government the forum of the Assembly should be used to undo the erosions”.
Dr Abdullah added: “We too didn’t budge from asking for the restoration of our infringed rights. Once in power in 1996, we got the autonomy resolution passed with a huge majority in the Assembly. Those who say the resolution was cast out are wrong... the document is still with the Union government and, one day, the Centre has to implement it. There is no other way.”
Meanwhile, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday defended his statement that his party would strive hard for restoring the terms of accession of J&K, including the provisions for having a sadr-e-riyasat and Wazir-e-Azam in the state.
