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| Oh, BJP not abrogating Article 370 'in the larger interest' | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 28: Stung by bitter criticism from nationalists across the country in general and Jammu and Ladakh in particular, the "power-hungry" BJP has said that the people should not criticize the Narendra Modi-led government for its March 27 statement in the Lok Sabha on Article 370 (for the abolition of which founder of Jana Sangh SP Mookerjee had laid down his life in Kashmir on June 23, 1953). The BJP said that Article 370 will be eventually abrogated but it was not being abrogated now in the larger interest.
"We will finally abrogate it. The statement by the Minister of State for Home affairs Hansraj Ahir in the parliament is for the time being only and for the larger interest," BJP general secretary (organization) Ashok Koul said today while talking to a reporter. He added that "abrogation of Article 370 is one of the basic goals of our party".
"It was committed to eventual abrogation of the Article 370 and was only holding back temporarily for the time being and in the larger interest…Article 370 was responsible for keeping 'the settled issue of Jammu and Kashmir alive' and encouraging the separatists and external forces to interfere in the internal matters of India and challenge the integrity of the country. The BJP is very clear on the issue from the day one. Article 370 was increasing the alienation of the people of the Valley and taking them away from the national mainstream," Ashok Koul was also quoted as saying.
Not only Koul, but another party leader, who was not authorized to speak on Article 370, also reportedly told a reporter that "the Article 370 was responsible for perpetuating the turmoil in the state".
What is this "larger interest"? The BJP needs to tell the nation. It can't hoodwink the people by speaking in two languages at the same time.
In the meantime, the PDP and the NC have also reacted to the MoS Home's statement in the Lok Sabha. Spokesperson of the PDP Muhammad Rafi Mir has said that "the Government of India's assertion in Parliament that it would not abrogate Article 370 binds it now to defend Article 35A in the Supreme Court".
On the other hand, NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar has urged the Union government to make Article 370 a permanent feature of the Indian Constitution.
"Article 35A is the 'spirit' of Article 370…There is no way the union government could scrap Article 370. The PM (Narendra Modi) has the power as well as numbers to make Article 370 a permanent feature of the Constitution of India. This will be a real embrace for people of Kashmir," Sagar has reportedly said. |
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