Will keep alive Article 370 issue: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the Supreme Court upholding the abrogation of Article 370 does not close the issue. His party would keep the matter alive until a dispensation comes at the Centre that would discuss the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
“This govt will not remain forever. There is no power on earth that can keep Prime Minister Narendra Modi in office in perpetuity, there is no power on earth that can keep the BJP in office forever.Every govt has a finite term, some are longer, some are shorter. Why would you assume that no govt will come in future that will be unwilling to talk to us on Article 370,” Abdullah told PTI in an interview here.
Abdullah, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from North Kashmir Baramulla constituency, said the Supreme Court’s verdict on petitions challenging the abrogation of the Article 370 was unfortunate. “I would like to believe that there will be a govt in the future that will be happy to engage with us on our core issues of the special status of J&K and until that comes, we will keep our struggle alive,” he said.
He claimed that several opposition parties were also on the same page. “Even now, we have friends who talk in the favour of the restoration of 370, whether it is in Tamil Nadu or West Bengal or the Left. We have friends outside of J&K who see eye to eye with us on the issue of Article 370,” he added.
The former chief minister said just like the BJP did not stop talking about the abrogation of Article 370 even when it had two Lok Sabha members in the 1984 elections, his party would continue to talk about the restoration of the special status. “When the BJP was reduced to two members of Parliament after the victory of Rajiv Gandhi following the assassination of PM Indira Gandhi, did the BJP stop? It kept talking about 370 despite setbacks in court. So, our struggle (also) will not end,” he said. PTI