Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Mar 5: Assuring to support every move for scrapping Article 35-A of the Constitution, Shiv Sena Bala Sahib Thackeray, J&K unit described the provision as a bane rather than a boon that had impeded the spirit of integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country.
Briefing media persons here today, Dimpy Kohli, State President and General Secretary Manish Sahni said that Article 35-A is not actually a part of the Constitution as it has got incorporated through a Presidential order in 1954.
Sahni said that abrogation of Article 35-A was in the interest and welfare of the people of Jammu as it disintegrated residents of the State from the residents of the rest of the country.
“Article 35A encourages alienation, deepens the concept of a separate identity and creates a political gap between the State and the rest of India,” he said, adding that the people of Jammu are not getting their due share due to such laws imposed in the State.
Referring to the warning of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti that any attempt of tinkering with Article 35-A would lead to a situation, where in, which flag the people of Jammu and Kashmir would raise after dropping the Tricolour, Sahni said that the Kashmir centric politicians have taken it wrong as the Shiv Sena would go to any extent for preserving the sanctity of National Flag. He said that such remarks reflect mindset of a section of politicians. Sahni asserted that the interim and temporary proviso of Article 370 is figuring in the Agenda of Alliance and emphasizes that “it will stay”, notwithstanding the fact the BJP vowing to get it repealed for over six decades.
“It was one of the core issues of the saffron brigade before joining hands with the PDP,” he rued.
He further said that Shiv Sena demanded that the Article 35-A should be scrapped immediately from the State and it would not tolerate disparity and discrimination at the hands of Kashmir centric leadership.
On the occasion, Vice President Harsh Kumar Gupta, Romesh Koul, Surjeet Singh Chib, Secretary Raj Singh, Vikas Bakshi, Raju Salaria, Pawan Singh, Akshit Talwar, Sunny Jamwal, Rohit Anand, Raju Salaria and many others were present.