Soz: Abrogation of Art 370 will strengthen separatism

Tribune News Service

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Srinagar, April 9

Former Union minister Saifuddin Soz on Tuesday said the BJP manifesto, asserting the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, was “misplaced and unwarranted” as it would remove the bridge connecting J&K with India that would further strengthen separatism in the state.

Soz, former chief of the state Congress committee, is also a member of the party’s nine-member election campaign and management committee led by Ghulam Nabi Azad.

He said the abrogation of Article 370 would “further worsen the situation in J&K and strengthen separatism”.

Soz told mediapersons that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “invited” people of the state to “unite for a cause”. He said the “immediate fallout (of abrogating Article 370) could be that the Kashmir mainstream might not be seen different from the so-called separatists”. Soz held that the PM would be “squarely responsible for such turn of events”.

He said the Government of India had committed many mistakes but the present scenario became “the darkest part of the relationship”. He urged the people to unite to “achieve the goal” as Articles 370 and 35A provided a bridge connecting J&K with India and privileges for its citizens.

Blaming Modi for “damaging the country and ruining economy through politics of hate”, Soz claimed that the Cabinet system of governance had completely broken down. “It is a one man’s rule. I will refer to the PM as the sole person responsible for the production of the BJP election manifesto.”