J&K BJP State Spokesperson, Prof. Virender Gupta, strongly criticized the repeated statements of Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and other leaders of NC that the government at the centre in connivance with the PDP leadership is eroding the J&K autonomy as granted under Article 370 and added that the statements are misconceived, against the facts and being issued to mislead and provoke the Muslim community of the Valley with an only objective to recapture the politically lost space in the Valley. He said that National Food Security Act (NFSA) and National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) are the examples being enhanced to prove their point. He said that the state government is not bound to accept NFSA, in fact, N.N. Vohra, the Governor of the state, during the Governor’s rule, modified the same while looking at the demands and requirements of the people of the state and the Chief Minister immediately after taking over further enhanced the quantum of ration that was to be delivered to each family.
Prof. Virender said that ”Do Farooq and Omar want that none of the students of J&K should appear in the examinations conducted by the central agencies, like IAS, Banking examinations, Railways recruitment examinations, examinations conducted for recruitment in army and other para-military forces, for recruitment in universities and research centres and in such like other examinations of Government of India outside the state?” and further questioned that are these leaders against the Kashmiri students appearing in CAT/ MAT examinations to earn eligibility for MBA courses within the state and outside the state. He added that they had objected to the Sainik Colony, which was proposed to be constructed for the Sainiks who hold the state subject.
Prof. Virender said that it is foolish to consider that these steps would erode the Autonomy of J&K state granted under Article 370. He stated that the demands of greater autonomy and pre-1953 position as demanded by NC leaders have become irrelevant after J&K adopted its Constitution in 1957 and in particular, after 1975 accord between tall leader of National Conference, Sheikh Mohamed Abdullah and Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. He said that It is ridiculous to talk about the erosion of Article 370 by the NC leaders in the light of fact that Sheikh Abdullah in his second term of power agreed to the findings of D.D. Thakur (the Deputy Chief Minister in Sheikh’s cabinet), who in his one man committee report had stated that the central laws and institutions, which were extended to J&K after 1953 were beneficial for state and its people and needles of the clock cannot be turned back.
Prof. Virender reminded the NC leaders that out of about 45 Amendments in State Constitution, about 14 were made after 1975, when NC was in power. The leaders must know that the people of Jammu region, Ladakh region and about 50 percent population of the Valley, which includes Gujjar, Bakarwal, Shias and the minority communities, do not endorse the demand of greater autonomy and in fact they are against the demand and want abrogation of Article 370. The leaders must also realize that the Kashmir region constitutes merely about 16 percent of the area of Indian part of J&K state.
Prof. Virender advised the National Conference leaders to understand the realities of the day and do not nurture hypothetical presumptions and adopt the policy of bringing the Kashmiri people in the national mainstream, instead of indulging in activities that strengthen the separatists and anti-India forces.
