Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 16: While offering greetings to Dr Farooq Abdullah on his release, veteran Congress leader and former minister Prof Saifuddin Soz has said that not statehood to J&K but close substitute to the abrogation of Article 370 was the real issue in Jammu and Kashmir.
“As the people know, we have fallen to bad times. So, we must close our ranks and realize our joint responsibility for future. The moot point for mainstream leadership of Kashmir is to ponder over why the Centre put the entire mainstream leadership either in jail or under house arrest since August 5, 2019, when it abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution of India, unilaterally. It is also incumbent upon the mainstream leadership, particularly the National Conference, to adopt a mechanism to sort-out issues with the Centre so that things don’t go awry in future,” Soz said while talking to Farooq Abdullah.
“If the Constitution of India offers accommodation to the resolution of Kashmir issue, then, the Union should take steps to revive the democratic process in Kashmir. It is only then that the electoral process can be undertaken at some point of time in future. It is the Centre that has to come clean on how the state’s Constitutional relationship with it (the Union) can be strengthened as a cooperative and collaborative effort,” Soz maintained.
Soz pointed out that the crucial question is not the restoration of statehood which the BJP itself wants to happen, but, seeking, at least, a close substitute to the abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution of India.”
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