Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Feb 11: Former MLA and president JKNPP Balwant Singh Mankotia has urged the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee to exercise his constitutional powers to dissolve the State Assembly and direct Election Commission of India to hold fresh Assembly election in the State without delay.
Addressing party workers here today Mr Mankotia urged the President to have a look at the situation that has been disturbing the State of J&K since 1947. He said there has been no certainty or normalcy in the State right from the day the Maharaja Hari Singh was forced out of the State in 1949 by the Congress Government in Delhi.
Mankotia said that the biggest blunder committed by the Constituent Assembly in 1950 inclusion of Article 370 (though temporary) in the Indian Constitution. Mankotia further said that inclusion of Article 370 in the Indian Constitution in 1950 was a big blunder of the Congress, the Communists and other national leaders who supported inclusion of Article 370 in the Indian Constitution.
The NPP leader said that Article 370 literally died (collapsed) in 1952 when the Monarchy was abolished by the Constituent Assembly under the leadership of Sheikh Mohd Abdullah. Mr Mankotia accused the leaders of the previous/present Union Governments who deliberately chose to retain Article 370, though temporary, after the abolition of Monarchy. He said that one cannot blame J&K local leadership only for sowing the seeds of separatism because it was Article 370 which was planted by the national leaders who happened to be Members of the Constituent Assembly. The situation changed in 1952 and it was Pt Jawaharlal Nehru who got Monarchy demolished in J&K. Article 370 constitutionally, literally and politically stood abrogated when Monarchy was abolished.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Dhani Ram Atri, Jagdev Singh, Amar Nath Mehra, Gulzar Singh, Hans Raj, Master Ram Saroop, Sunil Proach, Sarpanch Kamlu Ram and Sanjeet Sharma.
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