Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, July 19: Chairman J&K Peoples’ Conference (PC) Sajad Gani Lone today said that he does not expect the BJP-led Central Government to restore J&K’s special status by giving back Article 370 or 35-A, but would rather wait for a more liberal Government to do that.
In an interview with a national news channel, the clip of which was shared on the PC’s Twitter handle, the separatist-turned mainstream politician said that abrogating J&K special status has been the fundamental point of BJP’s politics for the last 70 years.
“This Government has taken away Article 370 and 35-A which was their ideological plank for the last 70 years. They got the majority in the Parliament and did it,” he said.
He said that the current Government at the centre giving the Article 370 or 35-A back would be akin to ‘political suicide’ for them.
Sajad said: “We should not allow the issues of Article 370 and 35 A to be an impediment in delivering other things which are more achievable in the short term like full statehood.”
It is to be noted here that soon after the All-Party Meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sajad had pitched for creating an enabling environment in J&K so that New Delhi is able to deliver in J&K and has been impressing that any rhetoric-which would delay, or makes New Delhi’s delivery in J&K difficult-in this regard would be a loss to the people of J&K who are suffering on various fronts since 2019.
Sajad said that while he does not expect the current Government to restore the special status of J&K, the same will not stop him from fighting it in the court of law or waiting for a new Government elected by the people of the country.
“But that does not stop us from going to court, at least our party has. Fighting it out there, or waiting for a more liberal Government at a future day to give it back,” he said, adding that whether the people of India would elect such a liberal Government which would actually give it back depends upon us-the people of India.
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