Srinagar 17 July(KNS): Awami National Conference (ANC), Senior Vice President, Muzzafar Shah on Monday said that residents of other states, under a well-prepared plan, are being settled in J&K.
While addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Shah said that the daily hearing of Article 370 in the Supreme Court is a first step to success. He also pointed out the efforts and plan under which attempts are on to settle outsiders in J&K.
He said that after four years, the Hon’ble Supreme Court bench has decided to conduct the hearings on a daily basis on Article 370 and 35A from August 2, 2023.
Shah further said that a decision on Article 370 is expected within the next 4 to 5 months. “The government was slapped in the face by the Supreme Court initially after it rejected the affidavit filed by the government, and made it clear to the Solicitor General that Article 370 and the development of Jammu and Kashmir are different matters. At present, there are about 23 petitions related to Article 370 and 35A in the Supreme Court, which include petitioners belonging to people from every section of Jammu, Kashmir, & ladakh, he said.
The ANC VP also said that a petition is also there from more than 50 former bureaucrats and special personalities including people who have held high positions in the bureaucracy & the armed forces of the country. Targeting the central government, he said that Article 370 still has so much power left that "perhaps it will change the government in Delhi before 2024."
Shah also said that the eyes of the whole world are on the Supreme Court and Article 370 is also a test for it. He hoped that the Hon’ble Supreme Court will not disappoint the people of Jammu and Kashmir and uphold the Constitution of India by giving justice to the people of Jammu, kashmir & Ladakh . “Article 370 was given by the Constituent Assembly of the union of India to the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir and it could not have been removed,” Shah added.
Regarding the attempt to settle outsiders in the J&K, he said that the number of homeless people in Jammu and Kashmir was around 20,000 in 2012, as per details given on the floor of the Parliament, then how come 2.50 Lac homes were built for the homeless under the LG rule. How did this number increase 10 times in 3 years & who are these homes built for, questioned the ANC Sr VP.
“Soon the government will have to withdraw all the decisions taken after 2019”. The BJP says that after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was fully integrated with the country, but when will also the 11 states that have Article 371 be fully integrated with the country & are they not part of India today, he questioned.
Underlining the contradiction in the BJP statement, Shah said that the Center claims that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved, then why the statehood is not restored as the Union Home Minister had also announced in the Parliament that it will be restored as soon as the situation improves in J&K. As per the affidavit filed by the central govt in the Supreme Court on 11th July, the situation in J&K is normal, then it is time for the central govt to fulfil it’s promise & restore statehood to J&K, said Mr Shah.
He further said that some people tried to shine their political shops after the abrogation of Article 370,and they thought that this matter has become anecdotal, but no,
“ The very same people are now blowing the trumpet of Article 370, who were reluctant to go along with it because their businesses would have been affected." Shah said.
He also said that the consultation among the petitioners and the lawyers is on to prepare the future plan of action for the proceedings on the Article 370 hearings to begin from 2nd August 2023.(KNS).