National Conference's Working President Omar Abdullah on Sunday reiterated his stand that the state of Jammu and Kashmir has acceded to India, but not merged with it.
Addressing the largely-attended party delegates convention here, he said: "Even as the Chief Minister of the state, I have said that we have acceded to India and not merged with it. We cannot be compared to any other state of the country. We have our own flag and constitution and this is there because we decided to maintain our unique identity.
"If we are labelled as anti-national for seeking the preservation and restoration of constitutional guarantees given to us, so be it."
Stressing he was attacked by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for creating militant Burhan Wani, he said: "I accept my mistakes... those led to creation of Burhan Wani, but I ask Mehbooba Mufti to accept the responsibility for creating youths militants Zakir Musa and the likes of him.
"My biggest regret about losing power in the state is that the conditions under which we handed over power to the present dispensation in state are no longer there. There is widespread anger everywhere in the state today.
"We used to offer police jobs to the youth and today they are deserting the police force to join the militant ranks."
Abdullah said during the 2016 unrest, no National Conference leader had asked for Mehbooba Mufti's resignation, but when there was a similar unrest in 2010 when he was in power, Mehbooba Mufti and her father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed knocked at every door in New Delhi to seek his ouster.
More From This Section
He 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 the convention 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 funds debt by Pakistan for the separatist campaign was being investigated, the Central government must also probe the infusion of funds from New Delhi 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.
--IANS
sq/vd