Fears of constitutional encroachment

BJP’s reiteration of commitment to abrogate article 370 guaranteeing special status to Jammu and Kashmir state and scrap article 35-A guaranteeing property and state subject right to the people of the state in the election manifesto for 2019 parliamentary elections has though genuinely raised fears of constitutional encroachment in Jammu & Kashmir but surprisingly the Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone and party General Secretary Imran Raza Ansari have accused National Conference and PDP of generating fake fears on threats to Article 370 and Article 35-A. The political party in power at the centre putting the commitments to abrogate article 370 and scrap article 35-A conveys the message that taking away the special constitutional position granted to Jammu & Kashmir state is part of the saffron party’s core political agenda and henceforth deserves resistance from those standing up to commitment themselves to defend the present constitutional position of the state. More over the remark of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in which he threatened to abrogate article 370 and scrap article 35-A if the likes of Omar Abdullah continue to stress for restoring the positions of Prime Minister and Sadr-e-Reyasat for Jammu and Kashmir is an eye opener for the likes of Sajad Ganai Lone and Imran Raza Ansari. Though undeniable fact is that late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah is to be blamed for surrendering the positions of Prime Minister and Sadr-e-Reyasat for Jammu & Kashmir but that does not give Sajad Gani Lone and Imran Raza Ansari a license to oppose the demand for restoration of the positions of Prime Minister and Sadr-e-Reyasat.
While echoing other two regional parties National Conference an PDP on protection of article 370 and article 35-A the likes of Sajad Lone and Imran Raza Ansari have no reason to raise questions on Omar Abdullah’s demand for restoration of the positions of Prime Minister and Sadr-e-Reyasat for Jammu & Kashmir. Blaming National Conference and Congress for replacing the positions of Prime Minister and Sadr-e-Reyasat for Jammu & Kashmir is good for the purposes of settling political scores over the issue in election time but the same goes against the spirit of the protection of article 370 guaranteeing special status of the state. Likes of Sajad Gani Lone and Imran Raza Ansari may be free to settle political scores over socio-economic issues but they are not free to take contradictory positions over the issue concerning the core political ideology of their party – Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Conference.