'Congress Should Clear Stand On National Conference’s Manifesto': Smriti Irani | Exclusive

New Delhi: Former Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday questioned the Congress asking the ‘Grand Old Party’ whether it supports its Jammu-Kashmir alliance partner National Conference's (NC) manifesto promising the restoration of Article 370. 

Speaking to Republic TV's Managing Director and Editor-In-Chief, Arnab Goswami, Smriti Irani, “If NC wants to restore Article 370, what happens to the rights of Dalits, Gujjars, Pahadi communities, etc? Does Congress support NC on this? Because when you come together in an alliance, that doesn't affect just one geography of our country. It's an alliance that sends a larger message to the Indian populous.”

"Will the Congress party stand with the terror forces and not the security forces of India," Smriti Irani asked. 

On being asked why to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir at all, Smriti Irani respsonded saying, “To say that Indians should be denied the right to a democratic way of life, I don’t think you believe in it and neither do I.”

"Democracy is the birth right of every Indian. To vote for their government is the birth right of every Indian and that is being constitutionally provided for," Smriti Irani said.

“I think the questions that need to be asked after Home Minister highlighted (asking Congress its stand on NC's manifesto), these questions are pertinent and needs to be answered,” the former Union Minister said.

“Because any Indian who reads what the National Conference stand for will be absolutely appalled that it talks about the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir and the fact that it speaks about political decapitalizations of our country and the Congress party supports it, I think that is the clarification on answers that one seeks from the Grand Old Party,” Smriti Irani further asked. 

Smriti Irani further asked, “The National Conference has been vehement about wanting the restoration of Article 37 but what happened when it was in place? Children were married off, there were absolutely no law that were protecting child marriages, protecting rights of SC-ST, if it wants to restore Article 370, what happens to the rights of Dalits, Pahadis, Gujjars, others, does Congress support the stand of NC?”