Srinagar
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday who she said assured her of no fidgeting with Article 370, which grants special status to J&K.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of a debate on Article 35A of the Constitution, which was added to Article 370 in 1954 by a presidential decree, and is being challenged in the Supreme Court.
“Discussions on 35A have a negative impact on Jammu & Kashmir, it should not happen. The basis of our agenda of alliance is that status quo of Article 370 has to be maintained. None of us can go against that,” Mehbooba told reporters after meeting the PM.
The Jammu and Kashmir BJP has upped the ante with its spokesperson Virendra Gupta on Thursday saying time has come to bid a farewell to Article 370 and Article 35A as they created a “separatist psyche”.
Mehbooba also referred to Kashmir choosing to remain with India, despite being a Muslim majority state, indicating that New Delhi must accommodate the demands of the people to retain the special status.
“The idea of India has to accommodate the idea of Jammu and Kashmir,” said the chief minister after the meeting.
“Spoke to PM. The situation is normalising but people think our identity can be in danger. So the message that J&K is crown of India should be reiterated,” she said.
Mufti, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, met home minister Rajnath Singh. Officials in the home ministry said its law officers would be presenting legal aspects related to Article 35A only and would refrain from joining the case.
