Digvijaya Singh's Article 370 remark sparks row, Congress points to official stand
Digvijaya Singh's Article 370 remark sparks row, Congress points to official stand
Digvijaya Singh's comments on Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir have invited a volley of criticism by several Union ministers and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The BJP on Saturday leaked an audio chat of Digvijaya Singh allegedly saying that Congress "would certainly have to relook" the decision of revoking Article 370.
After Digvijaya Singh's alleged remarks sparked a row, the Congress asked its leaders to follow the party's stance on the issue of abrogation of Article 370. "The Congress party has clearly stated its position on Jammu and Kashmir, in its resolution of August 6, 2019, of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). This is the only official stance of the party. I urge and request all senior leaders to refer to the same," Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said when asked about Singh's remarks.
Khera was referring to the CWC resolution, which said it "deplores the unilateral, brazen and totally undemocratic manner in which Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated and the State of Jammu and Kashmir was dismembered by misinterpreting the provisions of the Constitution."
CWC on Article 370
The Centre revoked Article 370 in August 2019, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
"Every principle of Constitutional law, states’ rights, Parliamentary procedure and democratic governance was violated. The Indian National Congress pledges to stand with the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and to fight the BJP and its divisive and diabolical agenda with every power in its hands. We urge the people of J&K to maintain peace and calm," it said.
The CWC "strongly reaffirmed the consistent and stated position" of the Congress that J&K, including the areas under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and the part ceded by it to China, are an integral part of the Republic of India. The integration of J&K with India is final and irrevocable, it said.
Clubhouse chat
Digvijaya Singh allegedly made these remarks speaking on the audio chatroom app Clubhouse on the issue. He was responding to a question by a Pakistani journalist who asked what the Congress party would do on Article 370 if it happens to return to power at the Centre.
"Democracy was not there in Kashmir when they revoked Article 370. Then Insaniyat was not there because they had put everyone behind bars. Kashmiriyat is something that is basically the fundamentals of secularism. Because in a Muslim majority state, there was a Hindu Raja and both were together," Digvijaya Singh can be heard saying in the audio clip of the Clubhouse chat released by BJP's Amit Malviya.
"In fact, Kashmiri Pundits were given reservations in Kashmir in government services. So, therefore, the decision of revoking Article 370 and reducing the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir is an extremely sad decision. And the Congress Party would certainly have to have a relook into this issue," he said.
Digvijaya Singh responded to all the criticism in a series of tweets. "....Millions of Congress workers sympathisers and all those who are opposed to BJP Modi Shah regime would fight every inch to vote out this disastrous regime," he said in one of his tweets.
"Perhaps, a class of illiterate people doesn't understand the difference between 'shall' and 'consider'," Singh said in another tweet in Hindi.
