BJP leaders' remarks on Article 370 tantamount to contempt of court: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference working president Omar Abdullah Wednesday said the Centre should wait for the Supreme Courts decision on Article 370s abrogation rather than threatening it saying remarks by some BJP leaders over the subjudice matter almost tantamount to contempt of courtHis comments came after Union minister Smriti Irani while participating on the debate on the noconfidence motion against the central government in the Lok Sabha said Article 370 will never be restoredAbdullah said he feels surprised to hear such remarks from responsible BJP leaders PTI reportedThe issue is before the SC let the SC take a decision Why are they threatening the SC A Union minister has made such remarks today in Parliament that they will never allow it to happen We are waiting for the SCs decision they should also do it Do they feel their case is so weak that they feel the need to threaten It is regretful It is almost tantamount to the contempt of court he saidAsked if there is hope after arguments put forth by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal in the top court Abdullah said while the arguments have been strong the government has not replied so farWe have to see how strong the governments reply is Let the case move forward then only we can discuss whose arguments were better But the NCs decision to have Kapil Sibal and Gopal Subaramanium represent the two petitions by the party has been the best decision and perhaps we could not have presented our case any better than this The rest is with the judges and God but we are hopeful he saidWe wouldnt have gone to the Supreme Court had there been no hope We went to the SC because we have hope At least we havent threatened the SC like the BJP Abdullah told reporters hereAlso readThree arrested for staging accident to swindle merchandise worth lakhs in Jammus DodaThe NC vice president welcomed Chief Justice of India Justice D Y Chandrachuds praise for his grandfather and NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah saying the contribution of ShereKashmir as Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was popularly known as was in front of all of usUnfortunately in the last 3035 years attempts were made to distort his contribution The BJP did not leave any stone unturned on it and tried to present his contribution in the wrong manner It is good that the CJI gave such observations while sitting on a bench and we have welcomed that he saidAsked about PDP chief Mehbooba Muftis remarks that the Article 370 case in the top court was a test of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullahs decision to accede to India Omar Abdullah said it was rather a test of the ConstitutionThis is not the test of ShereKashmirs decision but the test of the Constitution because the way Kapil Sibal has argued on the petition of the NC and the way Gopal Subaramanium is arguing today it is obvious that what happened with JK was unconstitutional and illegalWe want that the Constitution and the law are upheld It is not further a test than that It is a test of the strength of the Constitution that is all he addedWhile mentioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra in her speech in Parliament Union minister Irani said I will not speak on joint painsthe valley that India has seen to be soaked in blood but when they went there they were playing with snow balls That was possible after Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370He said he went on a yatra and gave assurance that they will restore Article 370Article 370 will never be restored she assertedAsked about the partys participation in the panchayat polls which are due later this year Abdullah said while he has not seen any such notification the NC will contest every election be it the panchayat or ULB or Parliament or assembly pollsWhen the municipality elections are announced we will contest We have heard that they BJP are in no mood to conduct the municipality elections because they are afraid more so in Jammu than in Srinagar The way Congress has gained strength in Jammu the BJP must have freaked out more But if the election is announced the NC will participate in it eagerly he saidThe NC leader said his party is a member of the INDIA alliance of the opposition and will vote in the noconfidence motion in Parliament Agencies