VHP chief lashes out at Farooq, Congress for stance on Art 370

New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The Working President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Alok Kumar on Tuesday said that the demand by different political parties to restore status quo ante in J&K and also Article 370 is not only against the national public sentiment but also in contempt of the Constitution, the judiciary and the Parliament as well as opposing the country.

This assertion comes after six political parties, including the National Conference and PDP, passed a resolution pledging a combined effort for restoration of Article 370 saying its abrogation was “spitefully shortsighted”.

The VHP also hit out at Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram for throwing his weight behind the pledge. Kumar alleged that it has once again “exposed the anti-national character of the Congress”. Chidambaram had tweeted, “Salute the unity and courage of six mainstream Opposition parties who came together yesterday to fight the repeal of Article 370”.

Kumar also criticised “a former Chief Minister” of J&K referring to a media statement of Farooq Abdullah where he said, “I wonder whether I would have been better off as a terrorist”. The VHP called it a “reprehensible and provocative statement to push the people of the valley back to the path of terror”.

The VHP Working President said that the whole of Jammu & Kashmir, including the territories illegally occupied by Pakistan and China is an integral part of India and the Parliament of India is free to take any decision about it.

“After the revocation of Article 370, as the situation in J&K and Ladakh – the crown of Maa Bhaarati is getting normal, with regular life coming on track, and the development of the region picking up pace, it seems that these opposition parties standing for separatists do not like these positive developments,” Kumar said.

Kumar said that the people of India were fed up with separatism and terrorism for decades. “From August 5, 2019, the country was feeling some relief with curbs on the anti-national elements, but as suddenly this separatist thinking has once again shown its head, it has shocked and angered the people of the country,” he added.

–IANS

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