Srinagar: As the veteran and former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad called restoration of Article 370 unachievable and impossible, the People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday called his statement unfortunate and said that he is taking away hopes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Azad was addressing a rally in north Kashmir’s Baramulla for the first time after he resigned from Congress where he said that he will not mislead people about Article 370, since only a government with a two-thirds majority in the Parliament can assure its restoration.
“To restore Article 370, 350 Lok Sabha votes and 175 Rajya Sabha votes would be required, and no political party have those numbers,” Azad said in the public meeting stating that he will work on issues which are achievable like statehood and securing land/job right for natives.
Notably, Azad is forming a new political party in J&K.
However, Mehbooba that people of Jammu and Kashmir have high hopes on leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, but it’s unfortunate that he has taken away hopes from the people of J&K regarding restoration of article 370.
She added that there are many parties here, who are propagating BJP narrative in Jammu and Kashmir, and at the same time Ghulam Nabi Azad speaking like this is very unfortunate.
“When we can defeat the British empire, then it is not impossible to defeat the designs of the BJP in the country,” she said.
It is pertinent to mention that the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian constitution is article 370 which was abrogated by BJP-led central government, India on 5 August 2019. Many petitions were filed against the move in the Supreme Court but the pleas has not been heard by the top court for three years.
(With Inputs From KNO)