Omar asks centre to ‘come clean’ on the ‘stakeholders’

KL Report

SRINAGAR

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday asked the central government to come clean on who are the “stakeholders” it was talking about on the contentious issue of revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

His comments came a day after Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh stirred up a controversy by declaring the new government has started the process for repealing Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian union.

Speaking to journalists, Abdullah said: “We will oppose the move tooth and nail. Since it is the minister of state PMO talking and hence it is a policy matter. They (central government) must come clean and share who are the stakeholders they have talked to.”

The chief minister said the move to re-open the issue of Article 370 would amount to re-opening the issue of the state’s accession with the union.

“It is akin to opening up the issues of decisions those are to do with the ratification of accession,” he asserted.

Article 370 specifies that except for defence, foreign affairs, communications and ancillary matters (matters specified in the instrument of accession), the Indian Parliament needs the state government’s concurrence for applying all other laws.

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and Lok Sabha member Mehbooba Mufti too said her party would oppose any move to revoke Article 370.

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