Article 370 to go In J&K: Omar Abdullah accuses Modi govt of resorting to 'deceit and stealth', issues statement

Abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir has been an enduring political debate with regional leaders like NC's Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti sternly opposing the move.

On Monday, after Home Minister Amit Shah proposed the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, allowing its full integration into the Indian Union, the former chief minister of the state Omar Abdullah in an extensive statement expressed his displeasure of the proposal. 

The NC vice president denounced the 'unilateral and shocking' decisions of the PM Modi-led government, and called it a total 'betrayal of the trust' that the people of the state had reposed in India when the state acceded to it in 1947. 

Furthermore, the Abdullah scion warned of 'far-reaching and dangerous consequences.' He added that removal of Article 370 and Article 35A from Jammu and Kashmir raises 'fundamental questions' on the state's accession because that was done on the "very terms enunciated in these articles."

READ| Abrogation Of Article 370 For Jammu And Kashmir And Its Consequences Explained

Here is his statement: 

The BJP had long opposed the special status provided for the state. In the previous NDA government led by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Article 370 could not be removed due to lack of a majority. 

Abrogation of Article 370 was even a part of the BJP's manifesto ahead of Lok Sabha 2019 elections. 

READ| Article 370 To Go In J&K: Mehbooba Mufti Calls It A Failure To Keep Promise In Kashmir, Warns Of 'catastrophe'

Back on April 1, over BJP's pitch to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35A from Jammu and Kashmir during their election campaign was met with fury of regional Kashmiri leaders. In retaliation, in a contentious statement, Abdullah called for a 'separate Prime Minister'

He had said, "Other states became a part of India without any conditions. We made conditions. We did not come for free. To maintain our identity distinct, we entered certain things in the Constitution. We said our identity would be ours, we will have our own law, our own flag. At that time we also had our President and Prime Minister, and we will bring that back."  

What is Article 35 A?

Incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential order, Article 35 A defines the permanent residents of the state of Jammu and Kashmir by giving special rights and privileges to the state subjects. It stems from Article 370 that gives autonomous right to Jammu and Kashmir. 

The article is also referred to as Permanent Residents Law and bars woman belonging to the state from any property rights if she marries a person from outside the state. Even the children of such women do not get the right as they do not have any succession rights over the property.

What is Article 370?

​​​It exempts Jammu and Kashmir from following the Indian Constitution except for Article 1 and itself. It also restricts Parliament's legislative powers in Jammu and Kashmir. It was passed in the Constituent Assembly on May 27, 1949 and is the first article of Part XXI of the Indian Constitution. The heading of this part is ‘Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions’