Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 12: Controversial National Conference Lok Sabha member Mohammad Akbar Lone, known for creating controversies for his statement, said that National Conference will not contest any elections in the State after abrogation of Article 370.
In an interview with the web-portal, Lone, who had raised Pakistan Zindabad slogan on the floor of the Legislative Assembly in the month of January 2018, abrogation of Article 370 was absolutely 'illegal'. "The president has to consider the recommendations of the constituent assembly or the state assembly. Currently the state (of J&K) is represented by the governor. But the governor is the agent of president. Therefore, the president has no authority to pass such an order", he said.
When asked whether he was going to challenge abrogation of Article 370 in the court of law, Lone said, "There are solid legal grounds for our plea. First of all, there is no recommendation or concurrence from the constituent or state assembly". "What the president has done is constitutionally illegal. The president has to take it back. I am hopeful that the Supreme Court will direct the president to take it back. We hope there will be some sort of verdict in our favour", he observed.
"Article 370 was the bar. What they did is just 'trespassing'. Our relation with them (Union of India) was because of the 1947 Accession and Delhi Agreement of 1952. There were hundreds of states which either merged or opted to merge after 1947. J&K was the only state which was a full-fledged "independent country" before 1947. There was an agreement in 1947 when we acceded with the Union of India. It was signed by Maharaja Hari Singh and a representative of the Indian Union. Although the Maharaja had lost the faith of the people, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah allowed him to sign the instrument of accession. But there was a condition that J&K will be a semi-sovereign state within the union. And the Centre will have control over three main subjects-finance, defence and external affairs. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, successive governments of the Congress diluted it" , he maintained. |
