M A I N   N E W S

NC to continue in NDA
Farooq hopeful on autonomy issue
Tribune News Service and agencies

NEW DELHI, July 17 — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today expressed optimism about finding an amicable solution to the vexed autonomy issue and assured Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee about his party’s continuation in the National Democratic Alliance.

Dr Abdullah, who arrived in the Capital this evening to discuss the autonomy issue, was accompanied by a senior minister of his Cabinet, Mr G.M. Shah for the meeting with the Prime Minister.

The Chief Minister, emerging after a 40-minute meeting with the Prime Minister at his 7 Race Course Road residence, told newspersons ‘‘we have broken the ice and we will work together to strengthen the country’s unity and integrity.’’

‘‘We will carry forward the talks and discuss the entire gamut before arriving at any conclusion’’, Dr Abdullah said.

Mr Vajpayee and Dr Abdullah discussed the autonomy issue and reviewed the security situation in the state.

‘‘After all the issue cannot be resolved in one go’’, the Chief Minister said.

Asked whether his party’s continuance in the NDA was still a matter of debate, the Chief Minister said: “Let us decide...Why do you make speculations? Anyway, the autonomy issue was never linked with our support to the alliance.”

He clarified that his government was never adamant on the pre-1953 status and said “why 1953? It could even be 1960 or 1975...This issue can only be settled during talks between the state and central representatives.”

Dr Abdullah said, “It was the media which had wrongly projected the autonomy report. We at no time said that the state would secede from the Union of India...We are only asking for restoration of our lost glory.”

“Jammu and Kashmir is important to India and even the report begins with this pledge only,” the Chief Minister said.

Dr Abdullah will be flying back to Srinagar where his party working committee would meet tomorrow to continue the discussions on the NC’s continuation in the NDA.

The working committee would formally endorse Dr Abdullah’s assurance to the Prime Minister to continue in the NDA, the sources said.

The working committee had deferred its decision on whether to continue in the NDA or not and said that it would await the outcome of the Vajpayee-Abdullah talks. Some National Conference leaders were of the view that Dr Abdullah should at least ask his son, Mr Omar Abdullah to resign from the Council of Ministers as a sign of protest but the Chief Minister has resisted the demand.