National Conference senior leader Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal has welcomed the statement of Ram Madhav National General Secretary of BJP that 1953 position for J&K State can be given by the Parliament terming it as “ better late than never”. However, Kamal made it clear that the National Parliament has played its role in 1947-48 in granting the 1953 position in the constitution and the Delhi agreement of 1952 based on the instrument of accession of the then Maharaja of J&K Sir Hari Singh.
Kamal said that systematic erosion of these solemn agreements of the parliament of that time is the root cause of present turmoil in the state.
“On the assurance of the then UPA Government headed by late Narismha Rao National Conference Government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah prepared Greater Autonomy document passed it by over 2/3 rd majority in the state legislature in year 2000. The NDA headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee having taken over in Delhi paid not even lip service to it. This document continues to have legal and constitutional relevance and can be adopted as a first step to bring state centre relations back on track and will go a long way in calming flayed tempers in Kashmir and other parts of the state,” Kamal said adding that this could also be a stepping stone for ironing out differences with Pakistan over the Kashmir issue.
(CNS)