US tariff cut a positive step for Indian exporters
SUDHIR KUMAR
Jammu, Feb 3: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that the issue of alleged victimisation and harassment of Kashmiris will be taken up for discussion in the ongoing Assembly session, asserting that he would respond to queries related to the budget only on the floor of the House.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, Omar said that a discussion on concerns related to Kashmiris had been scheduled in the legislature.
“We are going to have a discussion on the issue of victimising and harassing Kashmiris,” he said .
When asked about his views on the budget presentation, the Chief Minister declined to comment outside the House, saying he would address the matter during the Assembly proceedings.
“I will say everything in the House regarding the budget,” he said.
Responding to questions about remarks allegedly made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Parliament, Omar said it was the Speaker’s privilege to decide on such matters and stressed that legislative decorum must be maintained.
“It is the privilege of the Speaker to decide. In the same way, in our Assembly, it is not appropriate to discuss our Assembly in Parliament,” he said, adding that he was unaware of what transpired there.
On the Congress’s demand for the formation of a coordination committee, Omar said the matter should be taken up with the party leadership. “Talk to the president of the National Conference,” he said.
Clarifying his role, Omar said he serves as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Dr. Farooq Abdullah remains the president of the National Conference.
“Meet the president of the National Conference, Farooq Abdullah. Ask him,” he added.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also welcomed the reported reduction in US tariffs on Indian goods, saying the move would provide much-needed relief to exporters who were facing severe difficulties.
Referring to the issue of tariffs, the Chief Minister said the US President had earlier expressed dissatisfaction over India purchasing oil from Russia. “There is no formal statement from the Government of India yet, but the US President has announced that India has stopped buying oil from Russia, and because of that, tariffs will no longer apply to us,” he said.
“If India has indeed stopped purchasing oil from Russia, it is a good thing,” Abdullah remarked, while adding that questions remain over future oil sourcing and its impact on fuel prices. “Whether buying oil from other sources will increase petrol and diesel prices remains to be seen. We will have to wait for that,” he said.
