Jammu: Union minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday asked the Congress to clarify its position on Article 370 and the resolution by its alliance partner the National Conference to revoke it.
Reddy, who chaired an organisational meeting to review the saffron party’s preparations for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, also questioned the Congress on the National Conference’s manifesto and said the Farooq Abdullah-led party sought to reverse the rights granted to various sections of people in the Union Territory.
Restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood as well as implementation of the autonomy resolution passed by the erstwhile assembly in 2000 are among the National Conference’s 12 guarantees announced in its manifesto.
In June 2000, the National Conference government under Abdullah passed a resolution in the assembly, seeking to restore the pre-1953 constitutional position in the state. It was, however, rejected by the Union Cabinet headed by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should inform the country about the National Conference’s resolution. Tarun Chugh has already questioned them. They should also clarify the Congress’ stand on Article 370,” Reddy — the BJP’s election in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir — told reporters at the BJP headquarters.
He also asked if the Congress and the National Conference wanted to “snatch the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir again, rights that were granted to them based on BR Ambedkar’s Constitution”.
“They want to take away the rights of West Pakistani refugees, women, Valmiki Samaj, tribals, and others. The Congress should clarify its stance,” Reddy said.
The Narendra Modi government abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, in 2019 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi enjoying ice cream at a hotel in Srinagar, Reddy said it was due to the Modi government’s work of 10 years that he could go to Lal Chowk and dine peacefully.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the meeting, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh criticised the Congress-National Conference coalition, calling it an “expired alliance” that would not harm the BJP.
“The alliance will have no impact on the BJP, which will emerge victorious with a majority,” Chugh said.
National Conference chief Abdullah on Thursday announced that an alliance with the Congress was final on all 90 assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir.
Chugh — the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir in-charge — also remarked that Rahul Gandhi should thank Modi for transforming Srinagar into a Smart City and ensuring peace and normality.
“Lal Chowk, once a stronghold of stone-pelters, has now become a tourist hub,” he added.
The BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir president Ravinder Raina expressed confidence that the saffron party would win the assembly elections with a thumping majority.
“The Congress lost despite its alliance in the Lok Sabha elections and it will lose in the assembly polls. Gandhi and Kharge are going door to door, seeking support from political parties,” Raina said.
Reddy, Chugh, Jammu and Kashmir BJP general secretary Ashok Koul, and Lok Sabha MP and the party’s election management committee chairperson Jugal Kishore Sharma reviewed the poll preparations and discussed strategies for grassroots-level campaigning.
Rahul Gandhi wants to restore Article 370 in J&K: Giriraj Singh
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wants to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister Giriraj Singh said on Thursday and asserted that such a move will never be accepted by the country.
His remarks came on a day Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, told a press conference in Srinagar that it is the Congress and the INDIA bloc’s priority to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Gandhi said it is the Congress’s aim that people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh get their democratic rights back.
In 2019, the Centre had abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
“It is on Rahul Gandhi’s mind. He is thinking about restoring Article 370 in Kashmir but this will never be accepted by the country,” Textile Minister Singh told PTI when asked for his comments on the sidelines of the ‘Shilp Didi Mahotsav’ at Dilli Haat here.
Taking a swipe at Gandhi, the senior BJP leader said the Congress leader looks jaded ever since he was asked about his “religion and caste”.
The Congress has mostly stuck to the demand of restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood but has not taken a categorical stand on the nullification of its special rights.
Taking aim at Gandhi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, BJP general secretary and organisational in-charge for J&K Tarun Chugh on Wednesday asked the Congress leader to clear his party’s stand on the Articles 370 and 35-A.
