No referendum in J&K ever: PDP patron Baig

Tribune News Service

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Jammu, January 27

A day after he was conferred Padma Bhushan — the country’s third highest civilian award — former Deputy Chief Minister and PDP founder member Muzaffar Hussain Baig has said that “there can never be a referendum in J&K and both Pakistan and the US have accepted that the UT is an internal part of India”.

“There can never be any referendum in J&K. Now, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the US President also talk about giving autonomy to us, which means they have accepted that J&K is an internal part of India. We demand that J&K should be given what has been enshrined for it in the Indian Constitution,” Baig said while addressing leaders after unfurling Tricolour at the party headquarters here on Sunday.

Baig, who was holding a copy of the Indian Constitution, said, “…Give J&K what this book (Constitution of India) provides for. On this Republic Day, the people of J&K urge the Centre, the Opposition and the people of India that we don’t want anything out of the purview of this book. Whatever are our problems, solutions lie in this book.”

The PDP founder member also demanded for the restoration of statehood to J&K. “A big change took place in the country. Our state was bifurcated into two UTs. Ladakh got separated from J&K. We hope that the statehood will be restored to J&K. We appeal to the Centre to make J&K a state again so that we (the people of J&K) can walk with dignity and an elected government here can get power to work for the welfare of the people,” he added.

Baig was among the top PDP leaders who were detained following the abrogation of Article 370 from J&K last year.

On January 9, he had said that PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s “provocative” statement that “on one in Kashmir would hold Tricolour if Article 370 was tampered with” resulted in downgrading J&K from a state into the UT”.

The PDP leader also dedicated Padma Bhushan award conferred upon him to the people of J&K. He has been awarded Padma Bhushan for his contribution to public affairs.