Amit Shah Asserts Article 370 Will Never Be Restored Amid Election Promises from J&K Parties

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asserted that Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will never be restored.

Shah's comments came as Jammu and Kashmir's two principal regional parties -- the National Conference and the PDP -- promised in their election manifestoes for upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir that they would work to restore the controversial provision, scrapped on August 5, 2019.

"Article 370 has no place in Jammu and Kashmir now or ever. It will never be restored," Shah said at a press conference in the Chhattisgarh capital when asked about it.

The home minister was addressing a press conference here after attending a meeting of top civil and security officials of the Naxal-hit states.

Restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir's statehood as well as implementation of the autonomy resolution passed by the erstwhile assembly in 2000 are among the National Conference's 12 guarantees announced in its manifesto for the upcoming polls.

"We strive to restore (Articles) 370-35A, and statehood as prior to August 5, 2019," the NC poll document said.

In June 2000, the National Conference government under Farooq Abdullah passed a resolution in the J-K Assembly seeking to restore the pre-1953 constitutional position in the state.

It was, however, rejected by the Union Cabinet headed by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Article 370 was abrogated by the Narendra Modi government on August 5, 2019, and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two UTs - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The PDP on Saturday released its manifesto for the Assembly elections, promising to pursue the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir to its "original status", and advocate for confidence-building measures (CBMs) and regional cooperation between India and Pakistan.

"The PDP is resolute in its pursuit of restoring the constitutional guarantees that were unjustly scrapped, and is committed to restoring Jammu and Kashmir to its original status, ensuring that the voices of its people are heard and their rights are safeguarded," it said.

The PDP manifesto said the "unconstitutional and illegal revocation" of Articles 370 and 35A in 2019 has "further complicated the Kashmir issue, deepening the alienation felt by the people of the region".

On Friday, Shah slammed the Congress for its alliance with the National Conference for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, accusing the party of repeatedly risking the country's unity and security in its greed for power.

The Congress has once again "exposed its ulterior motives by allying with the Abdullah family's National Conference," Shah said.

Posing 10 questions for the Congress and Gandhi, Shah had asked, "Does the Congress support the National Conference's promise of a separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir? "Do Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party support the JKNC's decision to restore Article 370 and 35A, and thereby pushing Jammu and Kashmir back into an era of unrest and terrorism?" The full name of Farooq Abdullah-led party is Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)