BJP released its ‘Sankalp Patra’ for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections listing 75 milestones to be achieved by 2022, the 75th year of India’s Independence. The BJP announced a slew of measures for addressing core issues of the farm distress, National security, Kashmir, Infrastructure, Digitisation, Sanitation and many others. Regarding Kashmir, the BJP in its manifesto has maintained its position of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the constitution to enable permanent assimilation of the state in the Union of India. However, this has not gone down well with the National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah.
#NewsAlert – @BJP4India promises to change Jammu and Kashmir status, Farooq Abdullah fumes. Will end Jammu and Kashmir’s accession if Article 35A is scrapped, says Farooq. | #BJPManifesto #ElectionsWithNews18 pic.twitter.com/FanwQvit3W
— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 8, 2019
Fulminating against the BJP ‘Sankalp Patra’ that talks about abrogating Article 370 and Article 35A, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah declared that if Article 370 and Article 35A are scrapped, the state’s accession to India will end. “They will bring outsiders to settle in Kashmir, they want to do away with Article 370. I swear by Allah, even Allah wants us to see us liberated from them. I will see how India’s flag is hoisted here,” Abdullah ranted.
#WATCH F Abdullah: Bahar se laenge, basaenge,hum sote rahenge?Hum iska muqabala karenge,370 ko kaise khatam karoge?Allah ki kasam kehta hun,Allah ko yahi manzoor hoga,hum inse azad ho jayen.Karen hum bhi dekhte hain.Dekhta hun phir kon inka jhanda khada karne ke liye taiyar hoga. pic.twitter.com/hrxoh9ECOY
— ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2019
This is a clear call for sedition from the senior politician, who is threatening that Kashmir will get independence from India if the articles are repealed. He is also saying he will not let the national flag to be unfurled in the state, which is a stand already taken by separatists operating in the valley.
The state of Jammu and Kashmir is under the President’s rule after the 6-month governor rule expired in December 2018. The state went into governor rule in June 2018, after BJP snapped its ties with the PDP. Since then, senior politicians of National Conference and PDP both are often seen taking hardline stances to woo Kashmiri voters and secure the majority in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The current rant by Farooq Abdullah can be termed as an attempt in that direction. The BJP, on the other hand, has always been consistent with its view about the Articles 370 and 35A, that are inherently discriminatory and which serve as an impediment for the complete amalgamation of the J&K with India.
