Jammu: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) patron and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said that the abrogation of article 370 deprived J&K and its people of their identity and rights.
While addressing a public meeting at Paloura in Jammu organised by DPAP provincial general secretary advocate Maheshwar Singh, Azad said the current dispensation robbed people of their rights but stressed that they took certain steps which were certainly appreciable.
“I would not say that whatever they did was bad. They have constructed AIIMS, IIT in J&K. Terrorism has declined. One does not witness Hartals (organised strikes) now. All these are positive developments. I welcome them as they all are in the interest of J&K and its people,” he said.
Terming the revocation of Article 370 and Article 35A as a blunder, he said “I will call a spade a spade. I would not hesitate in enumerating their bad decisions even. They abrogated Article 370. That was a very bad decision as it robbed J&K of its identity. They scrapped Article 35-A. It was against very bad step as it was detrimental to the interests of J&K people. The ruler of erstwhile J&K state Maharaj Hari Singh through his notifications in 1927 and 1932 introduced State Subject laws to protect exclusive rights of J&K people vis-à-vis lands and jobs. The abrogation of these Articles took these exclusive rights away from J&K citizens,” Azad said.
“J&K people have been suffering for the past seven decades or so. They have been witnessing wars since 1947. Even in normal times, people living along borders areas in Akhnoor, Chhamb, R S Pura, Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Poonch do witness ceasefire violations. Cross-border firing, shelling result in loss of lives and properties. One must keep in mind all these facts. Hence, exclusive rights to land and jobs are imperative for them to lessen their miseries. If DPAP comes to power, we will work to bring a law to protect job and land rights for people here, ensuring that no outsider can purchase land or secure jobs in J&K,” the former Chief Minister assured.