Will do only what people want: BJP on Article 370

Srinagar, Nov 16 (PTI) Reacting to apprehensions that BJP may abrogate Article 370, the party on Sunday said it would only do what the people of state want with regard to the provision of the Constitution that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

"On this issue (of Article 370), everyone, from our Prime Minister to our spokespersons, has clarified... I want to assure you that BJP will do only what the people (of the state) desire," the party's in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Avinash Rai Khanna told reporters here.

Khanna was responding to the worry expressed by National Conference President Farooq Abdullah that BJP has a "sinister" plan to abrogate the state's special status which will lead to "massive unrest".

On Abdullah's worries, the BJP leader said the leaders of the state were "trying to build an atmosphere" of apprehensions over the issue. Khanna also responded to Abdullah's criticism of BJP's attempts to rope in separatist leader Sajad Lone who recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying "we should be happy if the minds of such people have changed".