Kashmir leaders blast Mallikarjun Kharge over remarks on Article 370

Jammu and Kashmir leaders on Friday lambasted Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks about his party not intending to get Article 370 restored.
The newly elected Jammu and Kashmir had last week passed a resolution for restoration of the UT’s special status, following which top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders called out the Congress for trying to bring back Article 370 and 35A that were revoked by the Parliament on August 5, 2019.
The Congress, which has six legislators in the assembly, supported the resolution but the party leadership and assembly members never openly said they wanted Article 370 back. The ruling National Conference, Congress’ ally, had made restoration of Article 370 a poll plank.
At a press conference in Pune, Kharge had on Thursday said, “[Union minister Amit Shah] claims Congress wants to bring back Article 370, but who in Congress has ever stated this? Parliament has settled this issue. If BJP truly believes it, let them say it openly in Kashmir now that elections are over,” Kharge said.
Senior NC leader and Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has in this backdrop criticised Kharge for misinterpreting the resolution passed by the assembly, saying, “No INC president or JKPCC president has a right to misinterpret the resolution passed by the J&K Legislative Assembly in the last session. The purpose of that resolution is to express the people’s disapproval of all the amendments and unconstitutional abrogation of the guaranteed (Special) Status of J&K from the year 1953 to 2019.”
“This resolution calls for the return of all the guarantees in their original shape and form as was operational before 1953 including Art 370 and 35A. Let alone JKPCC or any other entity. Even if anyone from within @JKNC_ tries to misinterpret the resolution otherwise and against the wishes of the people, will be rejected and pushed by the people to a corner of irrelevance as the allies of BJP were in the last election,” he wrote in a post on X.
Peoples Conference chairperson Sajjad Lone, meanwhile, sought clarification from NC leadership over its ally’s stance.
“Now, even the All India president of Congress Mr Mallikarjun Kharge has clarified that they never talked about getting Article 370 back. Do the people of J&K not deserve even a clarification from the National Conference,” Sajjad wrote on X.
Democratic Progressive Azad Party leader Salman Nazimi, meanwhile, accused the Congress of fooling people during the assembly elections. “Today, the Congress has proved us right. Article 370 was just an emotional lure to get votes, power and the reality is right in front of you today,” Nazimi said in a statement.
PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan took a jibe at chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah, writing on X, “The Congress President has categorically denied any plans of restoring Article 370 & 35 A. BJP Snatched It. Yet Omar Abdullah Sahab & Ruhullah Mehdi Sahab want us to wait for a ‘Better Time’. Is this leadership or surrender? J&K deserves a real fight, not excuses.”
Abdullah, speaking in the assembly last week, had said he knows that the BJP will give Article 370 back as they snatched it before expressing hope of the provision being reinstated at some later point.
“After its passage [resolution], I am happy that people have found their voice and they are able to talk. We felt suffocated and thought we wouldn’t be able to talk. It seems that the burden is off the shoulders of the people,” he said, adding that he does not have much hope from the incumbent government at the Centre, “Things will change some day,” the CM had said.