Latest news with #Articles370
The Hindu
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
BJP president J.P. Nadda pays tribute to Syama Prasad Mookerjee
Bharatiya Janata Party president and Union Minister J.P. Nadda on Monday paid tribute to Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his 72nd death anniversary, which was observed as 'Balidan Diwas'. The BJP chief said the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founding president 'made the supreme sacrifice while opposing Articles 370 and 35A, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir'. Mr. Nadda said 'Balidan Diwas' (Sacrifice Day) events were being held by the party workers across the country. 'Dr. Mookerjee passed away under mysterious circumstances in Srinagar jail. Even his mother had demanded an inquiry into his death, but the appeal was ignored by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A under the decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a historic step and a true tribute to Dr. Mookerjee's vision and sacrifice,' he said. 'Born in Bengal, Dr. Mookerjee played a pivotal role in India's Independence and in shaping the identity of today's India. His contribution was especially crucial in ensuring that regions like West Bengal, Punjab, and Assam became and remained integral parts of the nation,' he added. A party release said 'Dr. Mookerjee was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University at the age of just 33'. 'He later entered the Legislative Assembly and served United Bengal. After Independence, Dr. Mookerjee became a Minister in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's first cabinet. However, ideological differences and his Opposition to Nehru's appeasement policies led him to resign from the post. He went on to establish the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and was one of its founding members,' said a party release. The BJP chief said that after the political party's founding, 'Dr. Mookerjee had vehemently opposed the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir... and gave the slogan Ek desh mein do nishan, do vidhan, aur do pradhan nahi chalenge [Two symbols, two Constitutions, and two heads will not work in one country]' and launched a movement against it. 'At that time, entry into Jammu and Kashmir required a special permit. Defying this rule, Dr. Mookerjee set out for the State on May 11 without seeking permission. He was arrested at the border and imprisoned in Srinagar. Tragically, on June 23, 1953, exactly 72 years ago, Dr. Mookerjee lost his life under mysterious circumstances in custody...,' he said. The BJP chief said: 'Every BJP karyakarta [worker] feels immense pride that on August 6, 2019, under the decisive leadership and resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the strategic execution by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Article 370 was finally abolished in Parliament...'
Indian Express
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Now, Cong's Khurshid backs end of Art 370: ‘Prosperity in Kashmir, Pak out to undo'
Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday backed the abrogation of Article 370, saying it was unfortunate that Pakistan wants to undo the 'prosperity that has come to Kashmir' because of it. In an address to Indonesian think tanks and academia in Jakarta, which he is visiting as a member of a multi-party delegation to rally support for India's war against terror emanating from Pakistan, Khurshid said, 'Kashmir had a major, major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an Article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave the impression that it (Kashmir) was separate from the rest of the country. Article 370 was abrogated, finally put to an end, because so much time had passed. Subsequently, there was an election and 65% participation. There is an elected government in Kashmir today, and therefore, for people to want to undo everything that has happened, the prosperity that has come to Kashmir, it is very unfortunate. It will give a setback to anybody.' 'As you know, no one can be told to give up a part of their sovereignty, give up a part of your family. Kashmir and we are family, nobody can break this family or our home,' he said. The Congress has been ambivalent on the issue of restoring Article 370, which granted J&K special status, ever since the BJP-led government scrapped it in August 2019. The Congress opposed its abrogation in Parliament, but later nuanced its position after factoring in the views of several leaders. The Congress also briefly joined the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration that had, among others, the National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the People's Conference. It was a party to the alliance's August 2020 joint statement which said the parties would strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A. But three months later, the Congress declared it was no longer part of the alliance. Following Khurshid's remarks, BJP leaders targeted the Congress, with Puri MP Sambit Patra saying somebody should relay the comments to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said he 'hopes the Congress does not designate Salman Khurshid as 'super pravakta (super spokesperson)' after he has busted their narrative on 370'. It was a dig at Congress spokesperson Udit Raj who recently said party MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading one of the delegations, should be designated by the BJP as a 'super spokesperson'. 'Will Rahul Gandhi admit Article 370 was his family blunder? Even Salman Khurshid has now lauded its removal,' said Poonawala. The Indian Express reached out to the Congress for a comment, but there was no response. In Jakarta, Khurshid, according to news agency ANI, also said: 'The Indian Parliament has a long-standing unanimous resolution that the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir must be vacated and given back to India. There is a law that even in the Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, seats that would have been in that area are kept vacant. We have a long-term commitment that the area has to come back to us.' Mentioning the military strikes on terror bases in Pakistan, he said, 'That is the only message we are giving and the limited exercise to ensure that our family remains safe is all we did in the four days we tried to give a message to Pakistan. Please don't do this misadventure, you will not succeed.' He said the government had expressed its distress that 'repeated attempts to talk and negotiate have been betrayed by Pakistan'. 'By several attacks that have happened over the years. It has been made clear that we are now taking several steps. Steps that we took, which are called kinetic steps, to eliminate terror hubs in Pakistan and PoK. It was the first thing we did. When there was a retaliation, without escalating any further, we responded to that retaliation by neutralising the bases from where the retaliation was coming. The Indian government has clearly stated that talks can happen only when Pakistan's commitment to peace is clear, and its support to terrorism is cogently shown to have stopped. This includes conversing about the Indus Waters Treaty being put in abeyance,' he said. Asad Rehman is with the national bureau of The Indian Express and covers politics and policy focusing on religious minorities in India. A journalist for over eight years, Rehman moved to this role after covering Uttar Pradesh for five years for The Indian Express. During his time in Uttar Pradesh, he covered politics, crime, health, and human rights among other issues. He did extensive ground reports and covered the protests against the new citizenship law during which many were killed in the state. During the Covid pandemic, he did extensive ground reporting on the migration of workers from the metropolitan cities to villages in Uttar Pradesh. He has also covered some landmark litigations, including the Babri Masjid-Ram temple case and the ongoing Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute. Prior to that, he worked on The Indian Express national desk for three years where he was a copy editor. Rehman studied at La Martiniere, Lucknow and then went on to do a bachelor's degree in History from Ramjas College, Delhi University. He also has a Masters degree from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. ... Read More
India Gazette
24-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Terror organisations are not just born but nurtured in Pakistan": BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi
Tokyo [Japan], May 24 (ANI): Launching scathing attacks on Pakistan, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, who is part of an all-party delegation that visited Japan, said that the neighbouring country is trying to spread terrorism as it could not see peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. During the interaction of the Indian Community in Japan, Sarangi asserted that 140 crore Indians have to stand together against terrorism and Pakistan. 'We are here to tell you that we are not just heartbroken, but we are also angry... Anger and dissatisfaction are significant in this fight against terror... We aim to create public opinion against terrorism. We will not be able to end terrorism until there is a sentiment of anger,' she said. '140 crore Indians have to stand together against terrorism and Pakistan... We have to argue with facts and figures... After Article 370 and 35A were removed, development began in J&K... This peace and development were not acceptable, and that is why Pakistan is trying to spread terrorism... Terror organisations are not just born in Pakistan but are also nurtured there,' the BJP MP said. Aparajita Sarangi is part of the delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha, which includes Ambassador Mohan Kumar, BJP MP Dr Hemang Joshi, CPI(M) MP John Brittas, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, BJP MP Brij Lal, and BJP MP Pradan Baruah. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore. The multi-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POJK). The Indian Armed Forces responded effectively to subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases. The two countries have reached an understanding to stop military action following a call made by Pakistan's DGMO to his Indian counterpart. (ANI)
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
National Conference should learn from history: Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi
Published : May 19, 2025 19:41 IST - 1 MIN READ In the second episode of The Kashmir Notebook, senior journalist and host Gowhar Geelani speaks to Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, a senior National Conference leader and an outspoken voice from Kashmir. Ruhullah speaks with unflinching honesty about the growing sense of mistrust among Kashmiris, the disconnect between election-time promises and his party's political conduct, abrogation of Article 370, restoration of statehood, and how mainstream politics is again at risk of alienating the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He calls out his own party for failing to allow a resolution or discussion on the Waqf Act in the Assembly and voices his disappointment at the absence of a strong response to the abrogation of Article 370. He also responds to revelations from former RAW chief A.S. Dulat's new book and addresses pressures from his constituency about balancing long-term struggles like statehood and autonomy with everyday governance. Since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in 2019, the Kashmir Valley has witnessed widespread disillusionment. In the recent State Assembly election, the National Conference secured a public mandate on the plank of dignity, assured rights to the citizens, and a pledge to restore statehood, but contradictions in party conduct, especially around the Waqf Act, are now raising questions of credibility. Gowhar Geelani is a senior journalist and author of Kashmir: Rage and Reason.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cultural ‘invasion' remarks of some J&K politicians now come under spotlight
The Pahalgam attack came amid statements by senior J&K netas terming the growing arrivals of non-locals, including tourists, in the UT as a demographic and cultural 'invasion." For instance, PDP neta and Pulwama MLA Waheed Parra in a recent interview highlighted the growing fears of demographic changes in Kashmir , citing the issuance of over 83,742 domicile certificates to non-natives in the last two years. He described this as a deliberate attempt to alter the region's identity and marginalise its indigenous population. 'After abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A (in 2019), there is a gripping fear among the people of J&K about possible demographic change, about being unnumbered, and about outside people being added without their knowledge. It is about us, our land.' National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi recently objected to non-local tourists thronging J&K. 'The tourism that is now happening... I won't call it tourism... in my eyes, it is a cultural invasion, by purpose and by design,' he had said. Mehdi had warned that just like the anger of Kashmiris against their autonomy being taken away in 1953 led to the birth of militancy 40 years later, the events of 2019 are bound to result in an angry outburst at some point of time. 'We have created a wound that will someday lead to a retaliatory outburst.' Both Parra and Mehdi were, however, quick to condemn the Pahalgam attack, saying that they stand united against terror.
