Ahead of the likely hearing in the Supreme Court the petition challenging the validity of Article 35A of the constitution this week from February 26-28th, PDP leader and former CM of Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti in a strongly worded statement expressed her resentment for the same.
Mufti warned the Central government not to fiddle with the Article 35A as she said doing so would mean that the government would “play with fire”. She threatened that India will see the worst times since 1947 if at all the Article 35A is tampered with. Furious with the decision, Mufti warned that if the Article is attacked then “I don’t know which flag people of J&K will be forced to pick up instead of the tricolour.”
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti: Don’t play with fire; don’t fiddle with Article-35A, else you will see what you haven’t seen since 1947, if it’s attacked then I don’t know which flag people of J&K will be forced to pick up instead of the tricolour. pic.twitter.com/8we431nID5
— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2019
Asserting that the valley is rife with speculation about the status of Article 35A, Mufti took to Twitter yesterday to warn that considering that “tampering with Article 370 and Article 35A will render the Treaty of Accession null and void”, the government before taking a decision, “must consider that J&K was the only Muslim-majority state that chose a secular India over Pakistan during Partition,” she said.
Valley rife with speculation about status of Article 35. Before taking a decision, GoI must consider-
1. J&K was the only Muslim majority state that chose a secular India over Pak during partition.
2. Article 370 is the constitutional connection between J&K & Indian Union.— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 24, 2019
She also sent out a warning in the aftermath of any ruling that goes against the interest of the people of Kashmir saying that “no one should blame Kashmiris for the developments that will follow such a hare-brained decision”.
5. Those frothing at the mouth & calling for its removal shouldnt blame Kashmiris for the developments that will follow such a hare brained decision.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 24, 2019
Adding fuel to the fire, Congress leader Saifuddin Soz made a controversial statement asserting that he will join hands with Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and even separatist Geelani to protest if Article 35A is scrapped or altered.
In the aftermath of the dastardly Pulwama attack, determined to avenge the lost lives of its soldiers, India has taken several harsh and prompt decisions. With attempts being made to isolate Pakistan globally, the Army has also been given a free hand to avenge the lives of the 44 CRPF soldiers who died in the Pulwama carnage.
Subsequently, there have been reports that Centre was considering the option of promulgating an ordinance to scrap the provisions under Article 35A which give J&K government the rights to confer special privileges to those whom it defines as “permanent residents” of the state. Among other things, the statute prevents outsiders from acquiring any immovable property in J&K and denies property rights to women if they marry people from outside the state.
Speculations have been rife in the state as well after the Central government has organized a massive crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami and arrested numerous leaders of the separatist outfit.
