As panic grips Kashmir over rumours about the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 35A and Article 370 of the Constitution, which guarantee a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference president and Member of Parliament Farooq Abdullah has decided to seek an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clear the air about the issue and apprise him of the situation in the state.
Rumours about the abrogation of Article 35A of the Constitution gained steam after the Centre airlifted 100 companies (10,000 personnel) of additional Central forces to Kashmir days after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited the valley last week.
A string of government orders asking police and railway protection force (RPF) to gear up for possible deterioration of law and order in Kashmir and stock food, water and riot fighting weapons, strengthened fears that something was in the offing regarding Article 35A.
Article 35A and Article 370 have been challenged by seven petitioners in the Supreme Court including a right-wing backed NGO and West Pakistan refugees living in Jammu.
The petitioners have said the articles violate the fundamental rights of the people of India outside Jammu and Kashmir as it bars them from buying property, seeking state government jobs and taking part in the assembly elections in the state.
The petitioners have said Article 35A was a Presidential order and not an act of parliament to be effective.
The separatists and mainstream political parties in Kashmir have found common ground in defending the article as they believe it was being challenged to pave way for demographic changes in Muslim majority Kashmir by the BJP and the RSS. Most people in Kashmir and Muslim majority districts of Jammu agree that the move against Article 35A is a conspiracy to allow outsiders to settle in the state.
After PDP president Mehbooba Mufti warned the Centre not to touch the article as it would be akin to setting the state on fire, she urged Farooq to convene an all party meeting.
“In light of recent developments that have caused a sense of panic amongst people in J&K, I’ve requested Dr Farooq Abdullah Sahab to convene an all-party meeting. The need of the hour is to come together & forge a united response. We the people of Kashmir need to stand up as one,” Mehbooba wrote on Twitter.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah responded by saying that before the all-party meeting of J&K parties they need to understand the intentions of the Centre government.
“Before calling senior leaders from other parties in J&K to discuss the current situation it’s important to try to understand from the Central Govt about their intentions for the state & also how they see the situation at the moment. This is what @JKNC_ is focused on,’’ Omar wrote on Twitter.
