Political parties in Kerala are opposing the Centre’s decision to scrap the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir merely for political gain, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said here on Saturday.
“Certain political parties in the State have always viewed it politically because, in Kerala, only the Bharatiya Jan Sangh or the BJP have demanded the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 with respect to J&K. They use it to tarnish the BJP,” Mr. Muraleedharan said, inaugurating ‘New Kashmir, New India’, a discussion on Article 370 organised by the BJP district unit.
People who predicted that the government’s decision on Article 370 would ignite fresh violence in the Kashmir Valley had been proved wrong, Mr. Muraleedharan said.
More than 10 days had passed without any violent incident since the announcement, he said.
Political agenda
Forces that oppose the withdrawal of the special status did so only to further their vote-bank political agenda, he said.
Article 370 was never considered a permanent mechanism by even the Congress in the past. It was never an integral part of the Constitution, nor was it a pre-condition for Jammu and Kashmir joining India, he said.
In doing away with the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre had not attacked the federal structure. Article 370 had for long hindered the progress of Jammu and Kashmir. Through its decision, the Central government had removed a handicap which would help India function more freely in the United Nations, former Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan said.
Lt. Gen. (retd.) Sarath Chand, former Vice Chief of Army Staff, underscored the need to address certain key issues in the Kashmir Valley such as the increasing radicalisation of youth and the rise of Wahhabism. The Centre’s decision regarding Article 370 was essential in tackling the proxy war engaged in by Pakistan.
BJP leaders K. Raman Pillai and Rachel Mathai were honoured on the occasion.
