If normalcy to be brought in Kashmir, Article 370 has to be reinstated: Farooq Abdullah

New Delhi, Nov 30: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said that Article 370 should be restored if normalcy is to be brought in Kashmir.

The National Conference Chief along with two other MPs from his party held dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises. The party is demanding the Centre to restore the special status to the state which was revoked on August 5, 2019.

Abdullah and former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti have been demanding the Centre to restore the special status to Jammu & Kashmir.

On Monday, Farooq Abdullah's son Omar Abdullah lashed out at the Centre for passing the Farm Laws Repeal Bill without discussion. He tweeted, "Passed without discussion; repealed without discussion. A new model of democracy for a new India. #FarmLawsRepealed #FarmLaws. [sic]"

The three laws were: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

Former Union Minister P Chidambaram slammed the government stating that the Prime Minister offered to debate "any issue", and on the first day and on the first item of business, the farm bills were repealed without a debate.

"The Agriculture Minister's logic to deny a debate was baffling: he said 'when the Government and the Opposition agree there is no need for a debate'!" Chidambaram stated. The farm bills were passed without a debate when the two sides did not agree and they were repealed without a debate when the two sides agreed, Chidambaram said, adding that, "whichever way, there was no debate". "Long live debate-less Parliamentary democracy!" he said on Twitter.

Likewise, many other leaders from opposition parties have slammed the BJP government over passing the contentious bill in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in quick succession amid an uproar on the first day of the Winter session without any discussion.