Rajnath for abrogation of article 370 in J

Jammu, Apr 30 (UNI) Reitrating his party's stand, BJP president Rajnath Singh today said the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir through Article 370 "must go" as it has proved meaningless in all aspects, particulary in terms of development of the state.

Addressing a public rally here during his ongoing Bharat Suraksha Yatra, Mr Singh said for abrogation of Article 370, the demand should come from the people of the state as they have got just nothing out of it but more hardships. There are no basic amenities like water, electricity and roads and infrastructure development in the state is also absent.

He urged the people, ''you should demand a status just as equal to other states, only then the development of the state could be ensured.'' Accusing the Congress of messing up the Kashmir issue he said the issue was creation of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. ''Had he not taken the issue to the United Nations, the problem would not have arisen,'' he said.

He also accused former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of not utilising the opportunity of making 90,000 Pakistani soldiers as prisoners of war, as tool to force Pakistan to withdraw its troops from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Emphasising that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of the country, he said Pakistan has been raking up the issue since the inception of the state and questioning its accession but that country must keep in mind that it will never succeed ''in its evil designs.'' To a question of participation of Hurriyat Conference and other separatist groups in round table conference, Mr Singh said the Centre should not talk to the Hurriyat, unless it drops its agenda of advocating tripartite talks on Kashmir in which Pakistan should be a party.

The BJP president also urged the Centre not to hold talks with Pakistan until it stops cross border terrorism. He said the country can make an attempt of offering its help to Pakistan in destroying terrorist training camps running accross the border.

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