Slugfest after Digvijaya says Cong will revisit Article 370 revocation
NEW DELHI/BHOPAL: A row erupted on Saturday over Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s purported comments in an audio chat on social media that his party will have a “relook” at Article 370 revocation and Jammu and Kashmir’s lost statehood if it returns to power, with the BJP accusing him of speaking “the language of Pakistan” and spewing venom against India.
Singh’s remarks to a person, who the BJP said was a journalist of Pakistani origin, were seized by its leaders to unleash a torrent of criticism against the opposition party and demand statements from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi on the issue. “The decision of revoking Article 370 and reducing the statehood of J&K is extremely, I would say, sad decision, and the Congress party would certainly have a relook on the issue,” Singh said, according to excerpts of the clubhouse conversation available on social media.
He was responding to a question about the “way forward” on the issue “once the Modi government is gone”.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra cited old comments of other Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mani Shankar Aiyar, to allege that Singh’s remarks were part of a larger pattern of the party being “hand in glove” with Pakistan.
“The script was originally written by Gandhis and directed from Pakistan,” lashed out Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina, and said that his party will not allow the Congress leaders’ “conspiracy” against India to succeed even if they take “100 rebirths”.
In Singh’s home state Madhya Pradesh, BJP unit chief VD Sharma said the National Investigation Agency should check the phone calls of Singh, a twotime former chief minister, and questioned the involvement of a Pakistani journalist in this chat.
“Kashmir is the crown jewel of India. It is an integral part of the country. It was the Congress which committed the sin of imposing Article 370 in Kashmir…congress speaks the language of Pakistan,” Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
Asked about Singh’s remarks, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, “The Congress Party has clearly stated its position on Jammu and Kashmir, in its resolution of August 6, 2019 of the Congress Working Committee. This is the only official stance of the party. I urge and request all senior leaders to refer to the same.”