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| Azad meticulously ducks 370 scrapping, demands statehood instead | | Tectonic shift in JK’s mainstream politics | |  EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 14: A surprising development was witnessed today when Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who met the recently released NC patriarch Dr Farooq Abdullah at latter’s residence, subtlety ducked the issue of article 370, hinting that his party has accepted the abrogation of JK’s special status.
Azad while talking to the media persons along with Dr Farooq pitched for the restoration of Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and preferred not to raise any issue pertaining to the abrogation of 370 and whether the order issued on August 5, last year should be rolled back. This is meanwhile for the first time that Congress party has sent feelers about being comfortable with the scraping of JK’s special status for now.
When asked by the reporters about why instead of restoration of the JKs special status, he raised the issue about the statehood, Azad underlined the need for the resumption of political activities and audaciously ducked the question about the subtle acceptable of August 5 presidential order. More interesting to find was NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah watching with stoic silence while Azad preferring to remain silent on what the party earlier used to term as a core issue.
Azad’s today’s action has sent the enough feels about the Kashmir’s mainstream political parties accepting what happened on August 5 and instead of pitching for the restoration of special status are demanding statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. “This is nothing but a major tectonic shift in the policies of the mainstream political parties. They have one by one started falling in the line and it looks all scripted from the very beginning. These political groups must have sensed that they should only demand what is achievable and restoration of the statehood looks most acceptable amid the prevailing circumstances,” says a senior political leader based in Srinagar.
Azad who has also served as the chief minister for more than two years from 2005 to 2008 in Jammu and Kashmir demanded restoration of statehood. He highlighted how JK in spite of being one of the largest states in India was downgraded to a union territory without any compunction.
Underlining the need for the release of the detained political leaders, Azad said that only such a measure will play a vital role in restoration of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir and that elections should be announced at an earliest so that people are given their democratic right to exercise their franchise and elect a government of their own choice. “The political process has to be kick-started without any further delay. It will happen only when leaders are freed and polls are held. India is world’s largest democracy and keeping the three former chief ministers behind the bars only undermines the democratic values at large,” Azad said.
Prior to this, NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah thanked Azad for visiting him and stated that though latter attempted to meet him in custody, he was not allowed by the government. |
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