No power can restore '370', says PM Modi, Slams J&K assembly resolution

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday strongly criticized the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance after the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on Wednesday calling for the restoration of Article 370. This Article, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status, was revoked by the central government on August 5, 2019, as part of a broader move to integrate the region more closely with India. The resolution passed by the J&K Assembly opposes this revocation and seeks the reinstatement of the special status previously held by the region.

The resolution, passed by a voice vote, came in the wake of the National Conference and Congress coalition forming a government in Jammu and Kashmir. The move was seen as an attempt by the local political parties to challenge the central government's position on the matter. The resolution not only demanded the restoration of Article 370 but also called for the return of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, which was stripped away when Article 370 was abrogated. The Congress-NC alliance has consistently pushed for the re-establishment of the region’s special status and autonomy, which were viewed as integral to the region’s cultural and political identity.

Prime Minister Modi, speaking at a public meeting in Dhule, Maharashtra, strongly condemned the resolution, calling it part of a wider conspiracy against the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the Congress and its allies had been working to reverse the central government’s decision on Article 370 ever since they got the opportunity to form a government in the region. He further criticized the alliance for their stance, stressing that it was not in line with national progress and unity. Modi asserted that as long as he remained in power, no power would be able to restore Article 370.

The BJP had opposed the resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, and BJP members who protested against it were removed by the Assembly marshals. Modi remarked on the incident, asserting that despite these protests, the BJP’s position on the matter remained firm and unchanged. He reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir would continue to be governed by the Constitution of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, and no efforts to restore Article 370 would succeed. He emphasized that the abrogation of Article 370 was a significant step towards integrating Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India and ensuring its development.

The National Conference and Congress party had promised in their election manifestos that they would seek the restoration of Article 370 and statehood for Jammu and Kashmir if they returned to power. Both parties view the revocation of Article 370 as a violation of the region’s historical autonomy and an infringement on the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The passage of this resolution underscores the ongoing political tensions in the region regarding the future of Article 370 and the region’s constitutional status.