Separate PM from Kashmir: Omar Abdullah, Gautam Gambhir exchange barbs on Twitter

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has stirred a row by speaking in favour of a separate Prime Minister for Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Narendra Modi to hit back strongly.

While addressing a gathering, Abdullah spoke in favour of Kashmir's autonomy including Sadare-Riyasat (President) and Wazir-e-Azam (Prime Minister).

"Don't think this election (Lok Sabha Election 2019) is a nominal one. We are getting attacked in various ways. Conspiracy is going on to disrupt Kashmir's identity.....Jammu and Kashmir is not like any other part of the country. We merged with the country by keeping certain conditions to uphold our identity. The conditions were our own identity, law, flag as well as the President and Prime Minister. Though the conditions for a separate President and Prime Minister were denied, hope one day we will bring that too..." Abdullah, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, said.

Gautam, who recently, joined the BJP, on Tuesday: "@OmarAbdullah wants a separate PM for J&K & I want to walk on oceans! @OmarAbdullah wants a separate PM for J&K & I want pigs to fly! More than a separate PM @OmarAbdullah needs some sleep followed by a strong coffee! If he still doesn’t understand then a green Pakistani passport."

Omar was quick in sharply to Gambhir's remarks and said he should stick to the field he is associated with and must tweet on the ongoing Indian Premier League.

"Gautam,I never played much cricket because I knew I wasn’t very good at it. You don’t know very much about J&K,it’s history or the role of @jknc_ in shaping that history yet you insist on displaying that ignorance for all to see. Stick to stuff you know about, tweet about the IPL," Omar tweeted.

Gautam Gambhir recently retired from cricket and had even played the IPL last season.

PM Modi strongly reacts to Omar Kasmir comment:

Reacting to Abdullah's comment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign asked several opposition leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Sharad Pawar whether they support the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister's comment.

The Prime Minister said: "National Conference wants 2 PMs, 1 in Kashmir & 1 for rest of India. Does Mamata Didi agree? Does U-Turn Babu agree? Does Pawar Sahab agree? Does former PM Deve Gowda Ji agree? Shame on the Opposition! Till Modi is there, no one can divide India!"

Brief history of Jammu and Kashmir and Article 370:

Jammu and Kashmir, formerly a princely state, enjoys a special status through Article 370, which was incorporated in the constitution by a 1954 Presidential order, defines the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

Article 370 bars people from outside the state to own immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir. It was aimed at protecting the rights and guarantee the unique identity of the people of the state.

Under the Jammu-Kashmir constitution, a Permanent Resident is a person who was a state subject on May 14, 1954, or who has been residing in the state for a period of 10 years, and has “lawfully acquired immovable property inthe state”.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only Indian state to have its own state flag along with the national flag.

No law enacted by the Indian parliament excepting in spheres of defence, communication and foreign policy, is extendable to the northern minority-dominated state unless it gets ratified by the state legislature.