Little difference in Pakistan, Congress' stand on Article 370: BJP

Dehradun, Aug 11: BJP Uttarakhand president Ajay Bhatt said there is little difference between "Pakistan's stand on the Article 370 issue and that of the Congress."

Bhatt said opposing revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 will prove suicidal for the Congress. He said abrogation of the special status will usher in an era of development in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

"By opposing the move, the Congress has proved it stands with the separatists. There is no difference between Pakistan's stand on the issue and that of the party. It may not realise it but will be suicidal for the party," Bhatt said at a press conference, PTI report said.

However, thanking some of the Congress' old guards for standing in support of the Centre's decision to do away with the special status, the Nainital MP said they deserved to be thanked for supporting the move in national interest.

"Abrogation of certain provisions of Article 370, and Union Territory status to both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will usher in unprecedented development in the region under direct supervision of the Centre," he said.

Explaining how article 370 had fostered terrorism and corruption in Jammu and Kashmir besides depriving its people of the advantages enjoyed by people in the rest of the country, he said women there did not have equal rights as men, people did not have right to information because of which corruption thrived.

Children did not even have right to education and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes did not enjoy reservation benefits, he said.

Abrogation of the special status will open the doors for all those benefits to reach the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

"The entire country is celebrating the move which will help people of the state join the mainstream of development," he said.

"By revoking special status to J-K under Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have fulfilled the dream of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "Strong willed leaders like Narendra Modi and Amit Shah alone could have taken a historic step like this," Bhatt said.