Gambhir suggests Abdullah shift to Pak over PM remarks

Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who recently joined the BJP, Tuesday suggested NC leader Omar Abdullah should shift to Pakistan over his remarks that his party would strive to restore Jammu and Kashmir's autonomy that could include having a 'Wazir-e-Azam' (prime minister).

Reacting sharply to Gambhir's comments, the National Conference (NC) leader said the former opening batsman of the Indian team should only talk about cricket, which is the thing he knows.

"Omar Abdullah wants a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir and I want to walk on oceans! Omar Abdullah wants a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir and I want pigs to fly," Gambhir tweeted.

He said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister needs "some sleep and a strong coffee" and if he still fails to understand then he needs "a green Pakistan passport".

Hitting back, Abdullah in a tweet said, "Gautam, I never played much cricket because I knew I wasn't very good at it. You don't know very much about Jammu and Kashmir, its history or the role of National Conference in shaping that history, yet you insist on displaying that ignorance for all to see."

He said that Gambhir should stick to the things he knows and "tweet about the Indian Premier League (IPL)".

Addressing a public meeting on Monday at Bandipora in North Kashmir, the former chief minister said Jammu and Kashmir's accession to the Union of India was accomplished in lieu of various constitutional safeguards for the state and if these are tampered with, the entire scheme of accession will be under question.

He also said that his party will work towards getting back the coveted posts of 'Sadr-e-Riyasat' (president) and 'Wazir-e-Azam' (prime minister) for Jammu and Kashmir.