Hindustan Times (Bathinda)

THERE CAN NEVER BE ANY REFERENDUM IN J&K, SAYS MUZAFFAR HUSSAIN BAIG

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

THE FORMER DY CM SAID PAK PM AND US PREZ WERE ADVOCATING FOR AUTONOMY FOR J&K, WHICH MEANT THEY HAD ACCEPTED IT AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF INDIA

JAMMU: Former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig on Sunday said that there can never be a referendum in Jammu and Kashmir and that “Pakistan and the United States (US) have also accepted the fact that J&K is an integral part of India.”

“There can never be any referendum in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump are advocating for autonomy to J&K. It means they’ve accepted that J&K is an integral part of India. We demand that J&K should be given what Constituti­on guarantees us,” Baig said after unfurling Tricolour at the party headquarte­rs on Sunday.

“On this day of Republic Day, we the people of J&K urge the

Centre that we do not want anything out of the purview of the Constituti­on. Whatever are our problems, solutions lie in this book,” he added.

He also dedicated Padma Bhushan award conferred upon him to the people of the UT. “This award has not been conferred upon me but upon the people of J&K,” Baig said. “This year there was a big change in the country. Our state was bifurcated into two UTS. We hope that statehood is restored again. We appeal the Centre to make Jammu and Kashmir a state again, so that we can walk with dignity and government elected here can get power to work for the welfare of the people,” he said.

Baig has been honoured with the Padma Bhushan for his contributi­on to “public affairs”.

 ??  ?? Muzaffar Hussain Baig
Muzaffar Hussain Baig

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