Jammu, Jan 9 (KNS) Former Member Parliament and PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beg on Thursday advocated that Jammu and Kashmir should be accorded as ‘hill state’ and the erstwhile state should be given all constitutional privileges under Article 371.
According to KNS correspondent while addressing a press conference here in Jammu, Beg said: “Why J&K should be discriminated. We also should be covered under Article 371 which is a permanent safeguard feature for our rights. It will safeguard rights of Kashmiris, Dogras, Gujars, Paharis and other communities,”
About the political detention of mainstream political leaders, Beg appealed Government of India to release all detained political leaders gradually. “It is unfortunate that those who have fought the election under the Indian constitution have been either house arrested or Jailed. I appeal the central government to release these leaders”.
Muzaffar Hussain Baig also took a dig at party chief Mehbooba Mufti over her remarks in which she had linked holding of the Tricolour to the abrogation of Article 370 and said such “statements resulted in downgrading Jammu and Kashmir from a state to Union Territory”.
He was answering a query about Mehbooba Mufti's earlier remarks that no one will hold tricolour in J&K if Art 370 is tampered with.
“Statements like that resulted in downgrading J&K from state to Union Territory. That did not help us. That should not have been made,” he said.
“My opinion is that if you want to talk about issues relating to people of Jammu and Kashmir, you will have to talk in a dignified and civilised manner. You can't achieve anything by coercing Prime Minister, Home Minister or NSA,” he said.
Article 370, which gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated in August last year. The parliament also passed a bill to bifurcate the state into two union territories and the decision came into effect in October last year.
Baig had also criticised the PDP’s decision to boycott local body polls in the state in 2018.
His latest remarks came on a day when a group of 15 foreign envoys arrived in Srinagar for a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, the first visit by diplomats ever since the revocation of the state’s special status followed by its bifurcation into two Union Territories in August last year. (KNS)