Srinagar : PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks that Article 35A and Article 370 had harmed Kashmir.
“If they think that Articles 35A and 370 have caused losses to Kashmir then they should leave from the region. If prime minister thinks Kashmir is in loss due to special status which is the foundation for our relationship with India, then they should give up the Valley,” Mehbooba told reporters in south Kashmir.
When asked if she meant that India should grant freedom to Kashmir, the former chief minister said that it is upto the Modi government to decide.
“They should leave Kashmir which they believe is in loss. Now in what way they want to leave, it’s upto them. Why do they want to bear this loss?”
On Friday, PM Modi told a news channel in an interview that the special status has caused losses to Kashmir and accused Abdullahs and Muftis of blackmailing India in the name of Articles 35A and 370.
The PDP chief also lashed out at Congress and National Conference, accusing both of eroding J&K’s special status.
“You should remember when Ghulam Nabi Azad was the chief minister of J&K, he alloted thousands of kanals of land to the Amarnath shrine board. He didn’t think of Article 370 at that time. They (Congress) eroded the Article 370,” she said, in response to a question over Congress and NC’s claims of fighting polls to defend the special status of J&K.
She also accused NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah of eroding J&K’s autonomy by accepting the post of CM after his accord with the then PM of India, Indira Gandhi in 1975.
“Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah who was earlier the Prime Minister became Chief Minister after signing an accord to with Indira Gandhi. He himself gave away the post of Prime Minister. So what NC and Congress did for Article 370 is in front of people,” the PDP chief said.
Mehbooba claimed that when she was in alliance with the BJP she fought for the protection of the J&K’s special status and even warned New Delhi of stepping back if they tinker with the Articles 35A and 370.
“I fought for two years and defended Article 370 and Article 35A. I told Narendra Modi in Delhi that if you fiddle with Article 35A then PDP will leave the coalition government,” the PDP chief, who is contesting Parliamentary polls from Anantnag constituency, claimed. (GNS)
