SRINAGAR, Apr 27: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks that Article 370 would be abrogated, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti today said that if he (Modi) thinks that special status has caused loss to State, let them leave Kashmir. On Saturday, the Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said that “if Kashmir is at loss because of these articles, they should set Kashmir free”.
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Mehbooba was speaking to the media after addressing an election meeting in YK Pora in Devsar, Kulgam district, where polling is scheduled on Monday. She said these articles are not only in the interest of J&K but the rest of the country as well.
While Article 370 grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir and limits Parliament's power to make laws regarding the state, Article 35A empowers the state assembly to determine 'permanent residents' for conferring special rights and privileges on them. She claimed that she had made it clear to PM that if they tinker with the Article 370 she will leave the Government.
PM Modi on Friday had said that if BJP will be voted back to power then they will abrogate the special status of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. After filing his nomination from Varanasi PM Modi had said Articles 370 and 35A have done "maximum damage" to Kashmir. The BJP’s election manifesto and president of the party Amit Shah have also mentioned that the party will abrogate Article 370 and Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution.
She also took on PDP’s former ally, Congress, and the National Conference for “their assault” on the special position of J&K. In reply to a question, she said Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad allotted thousands of kanals of land to Amarnath Shrine Board when he was Chief Minister of the State. Why he did not think of Article 370 at that time? she questioned.
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