Srinagar:National Conference President, Farooq Abdullah, who chaired the all parties Opposition meeting on Article 35-A warned that the scrapping of the article will “create a revolt far greater than Amarnath Land row”.
“It was very important to discuss the issue of Article 35-A and its implications on the state, and all its three regions-Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, so that people understand as to why we are against its abrogation, which gives us the basic right and scrapping it will take away that basic right from us,” Abdullah told reporters at his Gupkar residence after chairing the all party meeting.
According to correspondent, the MP said that if the Article 35-A is abrogated, people in Kashmir, who are the masters, will rise in one voice against it.
“Abrogation of Article 35 A will create a far greater revolt than Amarnath Land row, on which people rose overnight, when people rose overnight,” the former chief minister warned.
“It is a state subject law which should not be eroded at any cost,” he said.the meeting was attended by all oppositon leaders, including JKPCC president G A Mir, CPI (M) State secretary, M Y Tarigami, president PDF Hakeem Yaseen, Chairman DPN G H Mir and other senior leaders of NC, Congress.
Abdullah said that the Opposition political parties will form a united front and will create awareness among people about the implication of the article that has given the state and its three regions cultural identity.
“We have decided that we will take the issue to the people as a united front. All parties in Jammu, Kashmir or Ladakh will try to make people understand effect of abrogation of the Article on the state. Abrogating article will affect all the people. We will go t before the people and create awareness among them about its impact. People are the masters,” he said.
He said that it (state subject law was implemented) was done in the Maharaja (Hari Singh’s) time to prevent others coming in to dilute their culture.
Hitting out at BJP and RSS, the NC leader said that the agenda of BJP and RSS is to erode special status of the state.
“We as a united front will go people so that they know the fallout,” he said.
Abdullah said that the CM of the state has made a statement that if Article 35-A is removed, “she will quit the chair. I hope she stands by her statement.”
He said that the state government did not put “high class” representation in the Supreme Court to defence the Article.
He said that the CM must go to every region of the state to explain the fallout of abrogating the Article.
“She (Mehbooba Mufti) should make people aware because she has facilities to travel by air to reach to tell people and I think she does it,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Tarigami said that the opposition will reach out the all democratic voices in the country for protection of the article and identity of the state.
“We have also decided to appeal the democratic voices and all credible sections of the society in the country to understand the dangers ahead and the serious implications of removing Article 35-A. This will be a dangerous move, dangerous for the state and as a country as a whole,” he said.
The meeting was called by Dr Farooq day after he came from New Delhi at his Gupkar residence.