Article 370 will not be restored, J&K Assembly resolution attempt to divide India: BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Thursday termed the passage of a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly seeking restoration of special status as an “attempt to divide India” by the INDIA bloc parties and asserted that it will not let them succeed in their effort.

Coming down heavily on the ruling National Conference (NC) and its allies, senior BJP leader Smriti Irani said passage of the resolution in the J&K Assembly on Wednesday amounts to “disregard and insult” to the “decision” taken by Parliament and the Supreme Court on the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution.

“The resolution shows the tactical support of the leaders of the Congress and the INDI Alliance to extremism and terrorism,’ she told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

The BJP is up in arms against the Omar Abdullah government after the J&K Assembly on Wednesday passed the resolution asking the Centre to hold dialogue with elected representatives for restoration of special status of the erstwhile state.

The Congress is not part of the J&K government despite fighting the polls in alliance with the NC.

Slamming the ruling NC-led coalition government in the Union Territory over the passage of resolution, Irani said, “The government elected through the democratic framework is giving evidence of breaking India instead of working on development issues and uniting India.”

After abrogation of Article 370, J&K witnessed a decline in terror incidents by 70 per cent and the deaths in such incidents came down by 80 per cent, the former Union minister said.

“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 added.

Irani also took on the Congress over the passage of the resolution in the J&K Assembly and asked the party leadership if it stands for terrorism.

She also asked if the Congress-led “INDI alliance” stands against the “economic and constitutional interests” of JK as well as the rights that the tribal population, Dalits, OBCs, women and children have got with the revocation of Article 370.

“What they seek is special status for themselves not the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.

The BJP members continued to protest in the J&K Assembly on Thursday against the resolution and three party MLAs were marshalled out on the directions of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.

Reacting to the developments, Irani said, “Today, I stand as an Indian citizen outraged at the attempt by the Congress-led INDI alliance to bring to the floor of the House a resolution that stands against the Indian Constitution and opinion of the Supreme Court of India… I am today joined in my outrage by the people of India and the ‘karyakartas’ of the BJP.”

Irani said the resolution passed by the “INDI alliance led by the Congress” brings to the fore many questions.

“The Congress leadership and particularly the Gandhi family need to answer whether they stand for terrorism and are against development of Jammu and Kashmir. Do they stand for the breaking of India rather than stand and abide by the Constitution,” she asked.

“The question that the Congress-led leadership has to answer, particularly in the states of Jharkhand and Maharashtra, is does it stand against the valour of the citizens who donned uniforms in the Indian armed forces to protect us better,” she added. (PTI)