Jammu, Aug 17 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday backed a second round of talks with protesting students in the Jharkhand, saying their demands should be addressed if found justified.
“If the demands of the students are justified, if they are right, then there should be a discussion with them. If they are not, then say it directly,” Abdullah said while responding to questions about the ongoing protests in Jharkhand.
His remarks came after the government indicated that a second round of talks would be held with the protesting students.
“If you have said that there will be a second round, then there will be some truth in their demands. Do as much as you can,” the chief minister said.
Abdullah also called for greater devolution of powers to states, arguing that issues such as education and health fall within the state domain and should be handled by state governments.
“This is not just about Jharkhand. Whether it is education or health, in the devolution of powers, these are state issues. They feature in the state list,” he said.
The chief minister said successive central governments, including those led by the Congress and the BJP, had contributed to the weakening of states by centralising powers.
“It is not only the fault of BJP. Different central governments have played this role of weakening the states,” Abdullah said, adding that the previous Congress-led UPA government had also played a role in the process.
He cited the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the controversy over the conduct of examinations as an example of the consequences of excessive centralisation.
“If there was a mistake in any state, the minister of that state would have been at fault. But the result of centralising is that something went wrong in a state and the central minister had to resign,” he said.
“Leave the state issues to the state. Take care of the Centre issues. This habit of the Centre to interfere in the states is the result of Dharmendra Pradhan losing his job. Let us do our job, let them do their job,” Abdullah said.
On the BJP’s protest against the National Conference-led government in Jammu, Abdullah said the opposition party was expected to stage protests against the government.
Asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s demand for an apology from the Congress over the Vande Mataram controversy, Abdullah said all three stanzas were sung at the event.
“There is no controversy in this. It will take time for us to get used to it. This is the first time it has been included. We are also adjusting a little,” he said.
Referring to the Independence Day ceremony, Abdullah said it was his eighth parade on August 15 but the first time Vande Mataram had been included in the programme.
“It took me some time to understand. First I will stand there, then Vande Mataram, then I will raise the flag, then National Anthem. Maybe it took time to adjust the Congress as well. It happens,” he said.(KNS).
