‘Those Talking About Restoring Article 370 Playing Emotional Politics’

In a veiled attack on the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Tuesday said those promising to bring back Article 370 are playing emotive politics.

He said that Article 370, which gave special status to J&K, was abrogated on August 5, 2019 and has now become a part of history.

His statement came after PDP chief and PAGD vice chairperson Mehbooba Mufti said peace in the region cannot be restored without undoing the “illegal” and “unconstitutional” act of revocation of the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

“No one can restore Article 370 and political parties making false promises of bringing it back are playing emotional politics,” the BJP leader said in a statement after an emergency meeting of the party in Jammu.

Without naming Mehbooba or the PAGD, Raina took a dig at regional parties for “misleading” people in the name of Article 370 and said his party would always oppose “tooth and nail” any move to restore it.

In an apparent reference to Mehbooba’s demand for talks with everyone including Pakistan, Raina said India has always favoured friendly relations with its neighbours, which should not be taken as its weakness.

“Dialogue and guns cannot go together,” he said, adding India shares very cordial relations with Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and other countries.

“As far as Pakistan is concerned, it has launched a proxy war against India but will never succeed in its designs. Confidence can be developed through dialogue but Pakistan has never displayed its sincerity to have good relations with India,” he said.

He said the same is clear by its policy of training, funding and pushing militants into Indian territory.

“There can be no talk till this neighbour stops supporting terrorism in any form,” the BJP leader said.