Srinagar
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly refuted calls for the restoration of Article 370, asserting that the constitutional provision has been permanently abrogated. The party also reiterated its stance that the region’s statehood would be reinstated at an appropriate time.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, the BJP’s response came after Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a prominent religious leader in Kashmir, urged political parties to unite for the restoration of Article 370. The BJP spokesperson, Altaf Thakur, described such statements as attempts to incite public sentiment and disrupt the prevailing peace in the valley.
Thakur emphasized that the decision to abrogate Article 370 on August 5, 2019, was a historic constitutional step taken by Parliament, which was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court. “Mirwaiz Umar Farooq should understand that Article 370 is not coming back. Parliament has buried Article 370 forever, and no political party, leader or pressure group can reverse that constitutional reality,” Thakur stated.
He cautioned that such rhetoric risked leading Kashmir back to its troubled past. “Statements of this nature are meant to provoke people and vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the Valley once again. This will never be allowed. The nation has paid a very heavy price for the return of peace to Kashmir. The sacrifices of our brave security forces and civilians, including political workers who laid down their lives for peace and democracy, cannot be allowed to be undermined or challenged through politically motivated statements,” Thakur added.
The BJP spokesperson highlighted that Kashmir had endured significant bloodshed, frequent shutdowns, instances of stone-pelting, and widespread disruption. He stressed that the people should not be coerced into another cycle of instability, arguing that the region had progressed beyond such turmoil. “Our youth want education, employment, entrepreneurship, investment, tourism and opportunities. They do not want to return to an era when shutdown calendars dictated their lives and violence dictated the future,” he said.
While acknowledging the right of political parties to express their views within the constitutional framework, Thakur maintained that efforts to create agitation around a constitutionally settled issue would be futile. “Democracy gives everyone the right to speak and participate, but democracy cannot be reduced to repeatedly demanding the reversal of a constitutional decision that has already been upheld by the highest court of the country,” he asserted.
Addressing the matter of statehood, Thakur clarified the BJP’s position, stating that it would be restored when the time was deemed appropriate. He drew a distinct line between the restoration of statehood and the abrogation of Article 370. “There is a clear distinction between statehood and Article 370. Statehood will be restored at an appropriate time, as has been stated by the Government. But there is absolutely no question of bringing back Article 370,” he concluded, urging those spreading confusion to cease misleading the public.
The Chenab Times News Desk