Bring bill to safeguard jobs, lands of J&K people: Azad to Centre
JAMMU: Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday asked the central government for inclusion of exclusive rights to jobs and land for the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the bill on statehood that it intends to bring in the Parliament.
Addressing a public rally in Poonch, Azad said, “The government has agreed to hold elections and restore of statehood as well. So, it means they have promised these two, but I have added a little more to these promises. Till the time the Supreme Court decides on Article 370, we want the government to guarantee exclusive right to jobs and land to the locals in the statehood bill, which it intends to bring in the parliament.”
Azad said it takes years in courts to decide cases and in such a scenario, it would be too late for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “By the time Supreme Court adjudicates on Article 370, we may lose all our jobs and lands to the outsiders. Therefore, we cannot wait. If you (BJP government) are bringing a bill on statehood, then incorporate these two key issues in it,” he added.
“We don’t have to do anything with Article 35-A, but include these two key issues to the statehood bill,” he said.
Azad again criticised the BJP for ‘arbitrarily’ revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and downgrading the historic state into two union territories. “Only J&K constituent assembly had the right to decide on it,” he said.
“We have been saying all along that the method was wrong. J&K’s constituent assembly had the right to take a call on it. To remove it, add something to it or dilute it, the prerogative vested with the J&K assembly,” he added.
The former MP also took a swipe at vice-president of the National Conference, Omar Abdullah, who had claimed that Azad and the Congress have given up on the restoration of Article 370.
“I have said it repeatedly in the Parliament, but the matter is subjudice before the apex court. And therefore, if anyone says that we have not talked about Article 370, he is wrong. In the Parliament, I was the only one who talked about it in the past three years. No one else raised the issue,” he said.
“But I think when the matter is in the Supreme Court, talking about it to appease the people would be unfair,” he added.
Omar on Monday had slammed Azad for giving up the fight for restoration of Article 370.
While Omar and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti these days are vociferously raking up the revocation of Article 370 to strike an emotional chord with the people in their rallies, Azad has also started addressing gatherings frequently in Jammu and Kashmir.
The political parties anticipate assembly polls in June next year following the completion of delimitation exercise in March.