Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday met her arch rival and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah to shore up support for the defence of state subject law- Article 35A—the constitutionality of which has been challenged in Supreme Court by RSS proxy, an NGO, ''We the Citizens''.
The PDP, which is in coalition with the BJP, is facing intense pressure due the BJP-ruled Centre's indifference, as opposed to the steps taken three times—1956, 1961 and 1970—by previous governments at the Centre.
The Supreme Court, however, admitted the plea after Advocate General K. Venugopal told the bench of chief justice J.S. Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud that the petition against Article 35A raised "very sensitive" questions that required a "larger debate". That left the PDP in a very precarious position.
The development has caused a lot of anxiety in Kashmir across the board, among the supporters of mainstream and separatists alike.
The political leaders and the people are sure the move to challenge Article 35A, which was issued under a presidential order by former president Dr Rajendra Prasad in 1956 to clarify and recognise the different status of permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir, is aimed at changing the demography by of the state to tackle the Kashmir issue as per RSS plans.
Mehbooba’s “unscheduled” meeting with Farooq came a day after the NC president warned of a revolt of much greater magnitude than the Amarnath land row in 2008, if Article 35A is abrogated by Supreme Court.
Under Article 35A, citizens of other states cannot acquire immovable property or have the voting rights in Jammu and Kashmir.
Charu Wali Khanna, a Kashmir Pandit married a non-JK resident has also challenged the legality of the Article 35A in the Supreme Court on the grounds that the law disenfranchises and takes away her succession rights.
“Mehbooba Mufti discussed the current political situation in the state and majority of the meeting focused on discussion article 35A, '' said NC spokesman Junaid Matto. ''The chief minister expressed her desire to have a political consensus on this issue.''
Matto said the NC president advised the chief minister to consult like minded parties on this issue to forge consensus and get the best legal support to defend the case.
Farooq had chaired a meeting of all major opposition parties including Congress, CPI(M) and others on Monday to chalk out the response against any move to abrogate Article 35A.
The opposition has vowed to resist any move and warned an agitation in case the provision in the constitution is scrapped
Mehbooba’s meeting with Farooq came hours after she publicly vowed to protect the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as enshrined in the Constitution of India.
“The special status enjoyed by the State under the Constitution needs to be protected and preserved. We have our own flag, isn’t it our great strength?'' she said at a rally in Budgam. ''We have the power to legislate, isn’t it an out great power?. No outsider can buy land in J&K, isn't it our strength? Don’t we have to protect it? We have to protect it.”
She said Jammu and Kashmir have enacted its own (GST) law which no other state in the country has. “The guarantees carried in the said presidential order reflect the special status Jammu and Kashmir enjoys within the Constitution,” she said
Mehbooba said the opening of the historic routes along LoC in the state, frequent exchange of students, artists and other groups are the ideas which once worked, and would bring lasting peace in the state by promoting more people to people exchanges.
“Not only Muzaffarabad or Rawalakote roads, but all roads like Kargil-Skardu and Jammu-Sialkote should be opened. Jammu and Kashmir should be un-caged from all sides; that are what azadi is,” she stressed.
