Centre erred in abrogating Article 370 in J&K, must reverse decision: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Mangalore Today News Network

Delhi, Aug 20, 2019: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday said that the government has made a mistake in abrogating Article 370 and the decision must be reversed as nobody in Jammu and Kashmir is happy with the move. He said that the decision to scrap the special provisions granted to the troubled state was wrong and must be revered to restore normalcy. "I demand from the government that the wrong decision (abolition of Article 370) taken by them (Centre), which has also been proved wrong as nobody in the state is happy, such a decision should be reversed. Political leaders should be released and normalcy must be restored", as to Yahoo.

 

Jammu and Kashmir was placed under complete lockdown hours before the central government proposed to scrap the contentious article. Top political leaders from the Valley - Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah - were also placed under house arrest to avoid any mass mobilisation that could have threatened the law and order situation in the state.

While restrictions have been eased in a phased manner in the state, all the key leaders continue to be under house arrest. Just days ago, Congress J&K chief was taken into custody and placed under house arrest. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi condemned the arrest of J&K PCC chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir and said: "With this unprovoked action against a national political party, the Govt has delivered democracy another body blow. When will this madness end?"

On the other hand, the Congress has come out as a completely divided house on the scrapping of Article 370. Some of its leaders - Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora and BS Hooda - have openly backed the Centre on the abolition of the contentious article calling it a move that will complete the integration of Jammu and Kashmir.

In its resolution passed earlier this month, the Congress Working Committee questioned the manner in which the Centre proceeded on the issue, but stopped short of demanding a reversal of the decision. The CWC in its resolution said that it "deplores the unilateral, brazen and totally undemocratic manner in which Article 370" was abrogated. "Every principle of Constitutional law, States’ rights, Parliamentary procedure and democratic governance was violated," it added.