SRINAGAR: Senior Congress leader Salman Nizami today lashed out at the BJP for giving the issue of Article 35A a “political and communal colour” and demanded Governor N N Vohra for a referendum in all the three regions on Article 35A. Nizami said, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should make its stand clear.
For four years, they enjoyed power with PDP & remained silent on this issue, in fact the Union Minister assured there would be no change in Article 35A and 370. What changed in a few days?
Nizami asked. He said ” India offers special status to states like Assam (371B), Manipur (371C), Andhra Pradesh (371D), Sikkim (371F), Arunachal Pradesh (371H), Goa (371I) & Mizoram (371G) but some people want (35A) status to go frm J&K. If 35A is revoked, it will lead to violence in the state.
He further said “Article 35A was in a way an extension of a law was enacted by Maharaja Hari Singh Ji at the instance of Kashmiri Pandits who feared an influx from neighbouring Punjab. Those who oppose it now are negating what the Maharaja stood for. He also said if the Article 35A is touched, the Jammu people will suffer the most and Article 370 of the Constitution, which gives special status to the state, will be rendered merely a “skeleton”.
There should be a referendum on the issue in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The people should be given a chance to decide whether the law should remain or go. He said, It is time people see through the RSS’s tricks and denounce its politics of hate.
