Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 17: Former Minister and Senior Peoples Conference (PC) leader Imran Raza Ansari today said that the restoration of Article 370 and 35-A is impossible as long as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains in power.
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In an interview with Excelsior, Ansari, who is contesting the Pattan Assembly segment, stated that like-minded people must unite to persuade the country that Jammu & Kashmir has been subjected to “injustice.”
“As long as the BJP is in power, I don’t think Article 370 and 35-A will be restored. We want like-minded forces to unite-those who truly represent the people-and make the nation understand that what happened to J&K was unjust and needs to be corrected,” he said.
Responding to the National Conference’s (NC) ‘roadmap’ to approach the Supreme Court again for the restoration of Article 370, Ansari criticized NC Members of Parliament for their failure to build consensus in the house.
“There needs to be a sustained effort to garner national support, which hasn’t happened yet, even with NC members in Parliament. They haven’t been able to build consensus in the house, where the issue started. We will work in that direction,” he said.
Ansari added, “The NC President said Article 370 won’t be restored for the next 100 years, and some even claimed elections wouldn’t be held. But the situation is different now.”
Regarding the alliance between Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), the PC leader said it could be detrimental to JeI.
“They (JeI) have sacrificed a lot, but aligning with Engineer Rashid could harm them. They are also seen as part of a larger plan.”
Ansari also agreed with NC President Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s statement that Engineer Rashid is a “creation of the BJP.”
“That’s 100% true. We know how Engineer Rashid rose to prominence and how he was promoted. Dr. Farooq knows everything and should speak openly and in more detail about it. There is a plan behind his release.”
On accusations that several parties in Kashmir, including the Peoples Conference (PC), are referred to as the “B-team of BJP,” the PC general secretary said it was all due to the NC.
“The label we carry is because of the NC. It’s like if you’re not with them, then you’re not on the right path. But we all know their history, what they’re doing, and what their future plans are,” he said.
“All political parties have a connection with Delhi. Now, who is a sellout and who isn’t-people know that better,” he cuationed
On the importance of Assembly elections, Ansari said the people of J&K have been deprived of an elected Government for the last 10 years, and there is a strong desire for representation.
“People want representatives who will listen to them, who will speak for the people, not for a specific agenda or individual.”
He claimed that the people’s voices are not being heard, stressing that newly elected representatives will have to work harder.
“Those who are elected will need to work even harder because there has been a decade-long governance deficit. People must elect those who are not sellouts.”
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