Centre should respect conditions on which accession is based: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Oct 29 (IANS) National Conference's Working President Omar Abdullah on Sunday said that the Central government must respect and restore the conditions on which the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India is based.

"Promises made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir must be fulfilled. Centre should ensure that the conditions on which the accession of the state to the union of India is based should be restored and respected.

"We want the present uncertainty, bloodshed and violence to end. We w ant to live with honour and dignity," he said at a convention of NC leaders and delegates here, where his father and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was unanimously re-elected party president.

Omar Abdullah, who is also a former Chief Minister, will continue to function as the Working President.

In his address, Omar Abdullah also admitted that they had sometimes "erred and deviated from the right path, but our pursuit of power has always been to ensure that the people get their promised powers and status".

Holding it was heartening to hear Prime Minister Narendra Modi assert that the Kashmir problem would be resolved by embracing the people of the state and not by hurling abuses and insults, he quipped that while the Prime Minister made that historic speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, perhaps the ministers in Modi's government were fast asleep as they did not realize the import of the speech.

Farooq Abdullah meanwhile said the accession of the state to India was based on only three subjects of defence, foreign affairs and currency.

He also said the accession was made by then Maharaja of the state and not by his father, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah who was in prison when the instrument of accession was signed.

He said while the fund scam for the separatist campaign was being investigated, the Central government must also probe the infusion of funds into the state to erode the base of his party.

Party delegates from all the three regions of Jammu, Ladakh and the Valley had come in large numbers to attend the convention, held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium here.