Wednesday, 13 November 2024
Wednesday, 13 November 2024
As discussions over Article 370 once again take the spotlight in Indian politics, leaders from the BJP and the Congress-led INDIA bloc find themselves in heated exchanges over Jammu and Kashmir’s future.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with top BJP leaders Amit Shah and Smriti Irani, has sharply criticised the Opposition for allegedly backing the return of the scrapped Article 370, while Congress leaders argue the BJP’s stance misrepresents their aims for the region.
Here’s a breakdown of the high-stakes dialogue:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
PM Modi strongly condemned Congress-led efforts, accusing the Opposition of attempting to 'take the Constitution out of Jammu and Kashmir.' Referring to a recent assembly resolution in Jammu and Kashmir as an attempt to restore Article 370, Modi insisted, “Only Ambedkar’s constitution will be followed in J&K. You must have seen on TV how a resolution was moved in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly on bringing back Article 370, and when BJP MLAs protested, they were thrown out,” he asserted. Modi also warned against divisions within the nation, stating, "Ek hai, toh safe hai."
Omar Abdullah
Chief minister Omar Abdullah said the people of Jammu and Kashmir 'found their voice' after the passage of the resolution on the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state and it seems that the 'burden is off their shoulders'. "We felt suffocated and thought we wouldn't be able to talk. It seems that the burden is off the shoulders of the people. I have seen people who had forgotten their pens and keyboards find their footing again. They are feeling free enough to express themselves," he said.
Amit Shah
At a rally in Sangli, Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took an even sharper tone. Challenging Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shah proclaimed, “From the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I am telling you, Rahul baba, that neither you nor your fourth generation will be able to restore Article 370.” He recalled the circumstances surrounding the 2019 repeal: “When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decision to abrogate Article 370, I brought the bill [in Parliament] but Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, and Stalin opposed the move. They said do not remove Article 370 as it would lead to bloodshed in the Valley. Forget rivers of blood, nobody dared to throw a stone,” Shah remarked. "Rahul Gandhi now rides motorcycle in Kashmir and plays snowball with his sister because of the abrogation of Article 370," Shah said.
Farooq Abdullah
"The decision that they (BJP) took on August 5 (2019) has not been accepted by the people. This has been proved in front of the entire world," said National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on uproar in Jammu & Kashmir Assembly over Article 370.
Karuna Chatri
"NC governments (of the past) and Kashmir-centric leaders have always denied us the right to live in Jammu and Kashmir with dignity for 70 years. They denied us the right to vote, job opportunities, the right to contest elections, and even the right to own property," Jammu and Kashmir Gorkha Sabha president, Karuna Chatri said. "Now, they have passed a resolution to restore Article 370, in a bid to deny us citizenship rights in J-K again. We condemn it," she said.
Sunil Sharma
Adding to the discussion, Sunil Sharma, Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, criticised the Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s stance, describing it as sympathetic to the National Conference (NC). “The unfortunate part is that the Speaker is saying the demand for special status is demand for restoration of Article 370. He is acting like a spokesman of the National Conference,” he commented. Sharma reaffirmed that Article 370’s abrogation was legitimate and final: “Article 370 is now history. They are comparing the Article 370 with a word like special status, which does not even exist in the Constitution. I challenge [Chief Minister] Omar Abdullah that if the word special status with regard to Jammu and Kashmir is found anywhere in the Constitution, I will retire from politics.”
Smriti Irani
Union Minister Smriti Irani took a firm stance against the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s support for Article 370’s restoration, emphasising national unity: “I want to assure all leaders of the INDI alliance and citizens of the country that the abrogation of Article 370, passed by Parliament, will not be restored. And their effort to divide India will not succeed,” she declared. Irani went on to call the November 6 resolution by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly a 'disregard and insult' to decisions by Parliament and the Supreme Court on the matter.
CR Paatil
Union Minister CR Paatil criticised Congress, accusing its leaders of betraying the principles they claim to uphold. “Congress leaders roam around with a copy of the Constitution but they are supporting the National Conference to get a decision taken by our Parliament to scrap Article 370 and 35A overturned. The real face of these parties has been exposed. They will never succeed in their intentions,” Paatil remarked. He also highlighted the positive impact of the 2019 abrogation: “Terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir have reduced by 70% since the repeal of Article 370. People there are now fed up with terrorism and want to contribute to the development of the country.”
