‘Region doesn’t belong to Mehbooba only’
Art 35A secretively added in 1954
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 6: Union Finance Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Arun Jaitley has launched scathing attack on two mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir including National Conference and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) saying they were letting the State, the people of Kashmir and the country down with their statements and maintained that Article 35A was secretively added in 1954.
Jaitley threw challenge to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who had stated that the day Article 370 is abrogated, Kashmir’s relation with India will end, saying Kashmir doesn’t belong to Mehbooba and that there was no provision for secession of any territory from India.
In an interview given to a national newspaper, Jaitley came down heavily on the two mainstream parties of Kashmir and declared that Kashmir can never secede from India.
“There is no provision for secession of any territory from India. Some Constitutions have it, India doesn’t. No Indian or any Government can do it,’’ Jaitley said and described the argument as “absurd’’.
Slamming remarks of Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting Parliamentary election from South Kashmir’s Anantnag-Pulwama seat, that India’s relations with the country would become that of ‘occupation’ if Article 370 is removed, Jaitley described the PDP president’s suggestion as “preposterous’’,
He stated that the BJP-led NDA Government’s priority for Kashmir is peace and security along with development.
“I think Kashmir doesn’t belong to Mehbooba Mufti. The two mainstream parties of the State, a reference towards National Conference and People’s Democratic Party, which have been raking up controversial issues during Parliamentary elections, are letting both the State and people, the Kashmiris, down.
“In fact, they are also letting India down. They can’t run with the horse and hunt with the hounds,” Jaitley said.
Asserting that Article 35A was secretively added in 1954, the Finance Minister said Articles 370 and 35A were not part of the Instrument of Accession, which was finalized in October 1947.
Responding to a question over former Finance Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram’s remark on Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Jaitley slammed him saying that while the UPA Government failed to normalize situation in parts of northeastern States like Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya, the BJP Government withdrew the Act after situation improved in the region.
Jaitley’s hard-hitting remarks against National Conference and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) comes close on the heels of National Conference leaders—Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, all former Chief Ministers of the State, raking up the issues of Articles 370 and 35A in the Parliamentary elections.
Mehbooba Mufti has been raising the pitch on the issue in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, warning the ruling BJP of any attempt to tamper with Article 35-A and Article 370.
“The relationship between our State and the country is based on our special Constitutional position that legitimizes it. If we remove, what legalizes this relationship, it will turn into an occupation and colonization,” she had said.
Mehbooba immediately responded to Jaitley’s stand on Articles 370 and 35-A.
Tagging Jaitley’s interview, Mehbooba wrote on micro-blogging site twitter: “ Kashmir is not an heirloom or fiefdom owned by any family. It belongs to Kashmiris & nothing can take that away from us. Article 370 is a matter of right not favour / privilege. Please stop using Kashmir as a shield to deflect attention from real issues’’.
In a blog written recently, Jaitley had said the Congress manifesto will bring smile on the faces of separatists and terrorists and described the Congress party as “principal creator” of J&K problem.
BJP national president Amit Shah had recently stated that the party will abrogate Articles 370 and 35A in 2020 after attaining majority in the Rajya Sabha.
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