Baderwah: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday said the Centre will have no option other than abrogating articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution if “there is a talk of separate Prime Minister for Jammu and Kashmir.”
His reaction came a week after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had said that his party would reinstate the posts of ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’ (President) and ‘Wazeer-e-Azam’ (Prime Minister) in the state, which also drew a sharp reaction from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing a rally at Suchetgarh in R S Pura sector situated along the international border, Singh, without taking any names, said he regretted that such statements. Campaigning in Pattan, Abdullah had said the PM should “study how the constitution of India conferred upon the state certain allowances…The state had its own Prime Minister and president until 1965. We aren’t saying anything new; we are asking for what was infringed upon.”
The Minister also firmly ruled out any rollback of the decision to restrict civilian traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National highway twice a week for safe movement of security forces convoys. Rejecting the demands, Singh asserted “aisa nahi chalega (This will not be allowed)”, adding that all the political parties must clear their stand on whether they also want two Prime Ministers in the country.
The BJP has reiterated its commitment to repeal Article 370, which gives Jammu and Kashmir a special status, and Article 35A, which allows the state’s legislature to define permanent residents, and pledged in its manifesto to work towards ensuring the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley.
The proposal has faced criticism in the valley, with both the PDP and NC opposing it vehemently citing accession terms. Former chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had said removing the guarantees provided in the Constitution would “force us to reconsider whether we would like to continue with you or not”. NC leader Farooq Abdullah Monday said the abrogation of the Articles would pave way for “freedom” for people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Included in the Constitution on October 17, 1949, Article 370 exempts J&K from the Indian Constitution (except Article 1 and Article 370 itself) and permits the state to draft its own Constitution. It restricts Parliament’s legislative powers in respect of J&K. The BJP has termed it unconstitutional and “discriminatory” against non-permanent residents and women of Jammu and Kashmir, and has sought for its repeal.
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