Sajad Lone questions Opposition’s silence on Article 370 abrogation

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 21

The People’s Conference on Saturday questioned the national opposition led by the Congress and featuring J&K’s National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over their silence on the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.

What’s your stand

No mention of Article 370 at the Oppn parties’ meeting. How can J&K leaders justify their presence at the meeting if they could not convince the leaders to talk about it? The BJP’s anti-Art 370 stance is clear. What is the national Opposition’s stance? — Sajad Lone, PC Chairman

NC leaders hit back at pc chairman

New Delhi: The NC on Saturday denounced the jibes of People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone on the silence of the opposition on Article 370 as unfounded and out of sync with reality. In a joint statement, party’s segment in charges from Kupwara district, including Choudhary Muhammad Ramzaan, Mir Saifullah, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone, Kafeelur Rehman and Shafqat Watali, said Lone’s attack against NC chief Farooq Abdullah was coming “from a person who is hopelessly inconsistent in his views”. “Known for changing narratives, Lone’s only permanent character is that of a pendulum that keeps swinging from one extreme to another. From joining People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration to leaving it, Lone has only damaged the cause of restoration of Articles 370 and 35A. TNS

Citing the joint statement 19 Opposition parties issued yesterday after a meeting chaired by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, People’s Conference president Sajad Lone asked why the group did not articulate the principal demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The statement by the Opposition demanded release of all political prisoners in J&K, restoration of full statehood, including J&K cadre of central services and free and fair elections at the earliest.

Lone asked NC chief Farooq Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who attended Sonia’s meeting yesterday, as to how they could justify their presence in the group if they could not convince the Opposition leaders to pledge for the restoration of the special status of J&K.

“No mention of Article 370 at the Opposition parties’ meeting. In wonderment how can J&K leaders justify their presence at the meeting if they could not convince the leaders to talk about Article 370? The BJP’s anti-Article 370 stance is clear. What is the national Opposition’s stance?” Lone asked.

He said Article 370 could be restored either in Parliament or by the courts. “For the court battle we have to wait. It’s a long process. In Parliament, we know the BJP won’t restore Article 370. The quietude of Opposition parties suggests they won’t either. Then who will?” Lone asked.

He also asked why the leaders from J&K became part of a process that endorsed the “don’t-talk-about-370” discourse. The People’s Conference, in a statement, later said the silence of the Opposition on Article 370, scrapped by the Centre, was equal to the endorsement of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.