Art 370 abrogation neither ushered in devp nor ended terrorism: Farooq
JAMMU: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said the abrogation of the erstwhile state’s special status had neither ushered in development nor put an end to terrorism as being narrated by some vested interests in New Delhi.
He also alleged that the BJP has not learnt any lessons from the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999 and subsequent release of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-mohammad founder Maulana Masood Azhar as they think “they are the wisest of the wise, which is unfortunate”.
Speaking at a webinar organised by Epilogue News Network, Abdullah said the government took the decision on the abrogation of the special status without consulting anyone from Jammu and Kashmir. “It was passed in one day in Rajya Sabha and another day in Lok Sabha,” he said and added that the narrative sold by the government is that Kashmir will now become a part of India. “We were always part of India holding the Tricolour,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir was enjoying the special status which was guaranteed to the Muslim majority state on joining Hindu-majority India after rejecting Muslim Pakistan, he asserted at the webinar on “Discerning old order delineating new order – a year after neutralisation of Article 370 and abrogation of Article 35 A – understanding the nuances of the old and the new order; the consequences and challenges”.
On August 5 last year, the Centre abrogated the special status guaranteed to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state into Union territories.
Abdullah said the promised development has not come and gave the examples of the Kathuabanihal rail-link and an allweather tunnel connecting Kargil with Kashmir Valley. And, Adbullah said, “We were never separatists or projected separatism.” “What changed which forced them (to take such a decision)? This was the agenda of the BJP to abrogate it and so it projected it that development will be pouring in from the top, industrialists will come in and the whole map will change. Yes, the map changed as the Maharaja’s Kashmir overnight disappeared and we are a union territory which is unfortunate. UTS become states but states never become UTS,” he said.
CALLS FOR PROBE INTO EXODUS OF KASHMIRI PANDITS
Abdullah also demanded a probe by retired Supreme Court judges into the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in early 1990s.
Replying to questions during a webinar, Abdullah said he was of the firm belief that Kashmir is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits and that he would support any mechanism to bring them back honourably.
Abdullah, a member of Lok Sabha and president of the National Conference, chose to blame then former Governor Jagmohan for the exodus and said that he “took them away” on the false promise of ensuring their return within three months.