Chhattisgarh: No Return of Article 370 in Constitution of India, Amit Shah Says

Raipur:Raipur, Aug 24: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that Article 370, abrogated on August five, 2019, will never return to the Constitution of India.

He was reacting to the promise made by the National Conference (NC) in its election manifesto to restore Article 370 if the party returned to power in Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Shah who was here to chair the interstate coordination meeting of seven Naxal-affected states said that “Article 370 has been destroyed by the Centre. It will have no place in the Constitution of India ever. I want to make it clear to the countrymen and people of Jammu and Kashmir”.

He said that the removal of Article 370 has ensured reservation for scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and other backward classes (OBC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

He lambasted Congress for entering poll understanding with NC in the ensuing Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that “Congress and Rahul Gandhi must clarify whether they support the agenda of NC to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and end reservation for SC, ST and OBC”.

“I am not speaking against the poll alliance between Congress and NC (in Jammu and Kashmir elections). But, I want Congress to clarify if the party supported the agenda of NC to restore Article 370”, he added.

Replying to a question, he said that the Government of India is ready to rehabilitate the Kashmiri Pandits who want to return to the valley.

But, many Kashmiri Pandits have well settled elsewhere in the country, he said.

Asked if BJP would go for a poll alliance with the Mehebooba Mufti-led PDP in Jammu and Kashmir elections, he said, “no”.