CM wants BJP to stick to Agenda of Alliance
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 10: Stepping up campaign in support of Article 35A of the Constitution of India, which protects State Subject Law of the State, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for about half an hour in New Delhi and briefed him on the repercussions the quashing of the Article could have in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Mehbooba, who flew-in to New Delhi this afternoon, met Rajnath Singh at his residence this evening and is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow to seek their support for protection of Article 35A of the Constitution as she felt that any tinkering with the Article could vitiate atmosphere in the State.
Before leaving for New Delhi, Mehbooba also met Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, and briefed him about her party’s view and discussions she had with various political parties regarding threat to Article 35A of the Constitution of India, whose existence has been challenged by the RSS think tank in the Supreme Court.
Sources told the Excelsior that though Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and successful conduct of annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji also figured in Mehbooba-Rajnath talks, Article 35A primarily dominated the discussion with the Chief Minister stressing that the BJP should stick to `Agenda of Alliance’ reached between PDP and BJP before formation of coalition Government in 2015 in which the two parties had agreed to maintain status quo on Article 370 of the Constitution of India, which grants special status to the State.
Sources said Mehbooba, who also happens to be the PDP president, was of the view that Article 370 will be rendered irrelevant if Article 35A of the Constitution of India is scrapped. She reportedly told the Union Home Minister about sentiments voiced by various political parties and other organizations on protection of Article 35A of the Constitution of India.
“Mehbooba wanted the Centre Government to help in protection of the Article to ensure that peaceful atmosphere of the State is not disturbed as she was of the view that any tinkering with the Article could give vested interests a chance to disturb peace in the Valley,” sources pointed out.
The Chief Minister was also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today but the meeting now has been re-scheduled for tomorrow.
According to sources, Mehbooba is likely to take up Article 35A with the Prime Minister also apart from other issues like security situation, PMDP etc. Apart from the Prime Minister, she could also meet some other Union Ministers and BJP leaders in the Union capital.
The Chief Minister wants entire top BJP leadership, whether in power or in the organization, to use their office to defend and protect Article 35A of the Constitution of India so that State Subject Law stays in the State.
Before leaving for New Delhi, Mehbooba called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar and discussed legal challenges to Article 35A of the Constitution and several other issues, sources said.
She briefed the Governor about her party’s views and the discussions she had had with leaders of various political parties regarding the challenge to Article 35A, an official spokesman said.
Article 35A gives special status to the residents of State and has been challenged in the Supreme Court. It empowers the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature to define the State’s “permanent residents” and their special rights and privileges.
Sources said Mehbooba and Vohra also discussed other issues including the ongoing anti-militancy operations, maintenance of law and order, establishing capacity and outreach for effective implementation of the GST, the pace of tourist arrivals in the Valley, implementation of important development schemes and projects and functioning of the universities.
The Governor also discussed with Mehbooba the rapidly declining visual aspect of the Dal Lake and timely elections to Panchayats and urban local bodies, the spokesman said.
He said the Governor, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnath ji Shrine Board, thanked the Chief Minister for the State administration’s support in the “successful” conduct of this year’s yatra.
It may be mentioned here that National Conference president and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah had chaired an All Party Meeting of Opposition leaders in Srinagar on Monday in which the parties had decided to form United Front to protect Article 35A of the Constitution of India amid reports that RSS think tank was going all out to get the Article scrapped through the Apex Court.
On Tuesday, Mehbooba met Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah and briefed them on the steps being taken by the Government to defend Article 35A in the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, Mehbooba had met three senior Opposition leaders including MY Tarigami, Hakim Mohammad Yaseen and Ghulam Hassan Mir and gave them the similar briefing.
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