Article 370 dead, closed chapter: Kharge

Cong has no right to misinterpret resolution: MP Ruhullah
Srinagar: In a major shift to its political stand on Article 370, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today declared the issue of Article 370 a “dead and a closed chapter” following its abrogation in Parliament in August 2019.
Speaking at a press conference, Kharge sharply criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah for suggesting that Congress would work to restore the revoked article, asking, “When did Congress say that?”
While accusing the BJP of continuously raising the issue to keep it alive for political purposes, Kharge lashed out at the BJP for shifting industries to Gujarat, which he claimed was causing significant economic losses and growing unemployment in Maharashtra.
Kharge noted that while the BJP aimed for 400-plus seats, it had now become reliant on “two crutches.” He also responded to Modi’s accusations against Congress, reminding him of the party’s sacrifices for the nation and criticizing the glorification of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, Nathuram Godse, by some BJP supporters.
Additionally, Kharge drew attention to the government’s failure to address the 2.5 lakh vacant positions, exacerbating the state’s unemployment crisis.
The ruling National Conference on Friday said that Congress has no right to misinterpret the resolution passed by the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly in its first session.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, NC’s MP from the Srinagar Lok Sabha segment, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, said that “no INC president or JKPCC president has a right to misinterpret the resolution passed by the J&K Legislative Assembly in the last session.”
“The purpose of that resolution is to express the people’s disapproval of all the amendments and unconstitutional abrogation of the guaranteed (Special) Status of J&K from the year 1953 to 2019,” he said.
He added that the resolution calls for the return of all the guarantees in their original shape and form as they were operational before 1953, including Article 370 and 35A.
“Let alone JKPCC or any other entity. Even if anyone from within @JKNC_ tries to misinterpret the resolution otherwise and against the wishes of the people, they will be rejected and pushed by the people to a corner of irrelevance as the allies of BJP were in the last election,” he said.
Ruhullah’s remarks came on the day when Congress J&K unit president Tariq Hamid Karra said that the resolution has not raised the demand for the restoration of Article 370, nor is there any mention of it.
Karra said the demand for restoration of Article 370 was neither raised in the resolution passed by Jammu & Kashmir Assembly, nor is there any mention of it.
The party has already made its stance clear on the issue when J&K Assembly passed the resolution, he said.
“We have already said that the only thing left to demand after the Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 is statehood,” he said.
He said the demand for restoration of Article 370 was not raised in the resolution, nor is there any mention of it.
Karra, who represents central Shalteng Assembly segment, said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is misrepresenting facts for political gains.
“Despite our clear-cut statement, the BJP is misrepresenting facts in elections,” he said.
On the recent statement of Congress president Malikarjun Kharge, Karra said that he has asked BJP to tell who has talked about reinstating Article 370. (ANB/KNO)

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