Mehbooba slams Modi over his remark on Article 370

Regional PDP president and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks on abrogating Article 370 of the constitution, which grants special status to the state.

“If Modi thinks that Kashmir is in loss because of Article 370 then why they don’t leave Kashmir,” she told reporters in response to the Prime Minister’s remark on Article 370.

Mehbooba also accused the Congress and the regional National Conference (NC) of weakening the special status state. “When (Congress leader Ghulam Nabi) Azad Sahab became the chief minister of the state he sold Kashmiri land to (Amarnath) Shrine Board. Did he not think of Article 370 at that time?” the PDP chief questioned.

She also came down heavily on NC founder late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. “Sheikh Sahab accepted the chief minister’s seat after signing the infamous 1975 accord with the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Did National Conference not think of the special status of the state,” Mehbooba questioned.

The former Chief Minister claimed that for two years she was fighting with the Modi-led government for the protection of Article 370 when the state was ruled by PDP-BJP coalition.

“I had made it clear to Modi that if they tinker with the special status of the state then PDP will leave the government,” she claimed.

On Friday, the Prime Minister said that if BJP will be voted back to power then they will end the special status of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP’s election manifesto has mentioned that the party will abrogate Article 370 and Article 35-A of the Indian constitution.

Mehbooba is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from south Kashmir’s volatile Anantnag constituency, where the first phase of the three-phase voting was held on April 23. The second phase of voting in Anantnag LS seat is scheduled for April 29 and the last phase on May 6.