Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal Says Opposition Can’t Bring Back Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has said that the Opposition cannot reinstate Article 370 and accused them of misleading the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He stated, “They (the opposition) can’t bring it again (Article 370). They are just misguiding people; the way they did during the Lok Sabha elections by saying that we (the BJP) will finish the constitution. How can the Constitution be finished? Good governance and development–these are the two agendas, based on which we are contesting and will win this election.”
While Congress is silent on Article 370, its alliance partner, the National Conference, promised restoration of the Article in its manifesto. The Narendra Modi government abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5, 2019.
Meanwhile, addressing a public rally in Gurez in Bandipore area, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticized the National Conference for promising the restoration of Article 370. He said, “Only the Central Government has the authority to bring it back. After the removal of Article 370, people enthusiastically participated in the elections. This is the message of change in Jammu and Kashmir. Today, the national flag is being hoisted at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk. Today, record numbers of tourists are visiting Kashmir. Kashmir is no longer a terrorist hotspot but a tourism hotspot. Here, two political families only focused on politics. They ruled here for a long time.”
Rajnath Singh added, “Today, the youth here are holding computers, not stones. IIM, IIT, and National Colleges will be established here. NC-Congress and PDP have only looted here. They did nothing for the people, only secured their families.”
The high-stakes campaigning for the third and final phase of polling in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections concluded with voting set to take place for 40 constituencies in the third phase. Of the 40 constituencies, 24 fall under the Jammu division and the remaining in Kashmir. This election marks the first one in a decade and the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The three-phase election is witnessing a multi-cornered fight for the 90 seats across the erstwhile state. While the National Conference and the Congress are fighting the elections in an alliance, the People’s Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the two other major players.
Major political parties, especially the BJP, Congress, NC, and PDP, have been involved in heated debates over key issues including Pakistan, Article 370, terrorism, and reservation, all through the days of campaigning. High-profile leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah (BJP), Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, and former J-K chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, were on the ground for weeks.
Doubts Revealed
Union Minister -: A Union Minister is a person who is in charge of a specific department in the central government of India. They help make important decisions for the country.
Arjun Ram Meghwal -: Arjun Ram Meghwal is a politician in India who works as a Union Minister. He helps make decisions for the country.
Opposition -: The Opposition is a group of political parties that are not in power. They often challenge and question the decisions of the ruling party.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a special law that gave Jammu and Kashmir more autonomy than other states in India. It was removed in August 2019.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It used to be a state but is now a Union Territory.
Defence Minister -: The Defence Minister is a person in charge of the country’s defense and military. In this case, it is Rajnath Singh.
Rajnath Singh -: Rajnath Singh is a politician in India who works as the Defence Minister. He helps make decisions about the country’s military and defense.
National Conference -: The National Conference is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir. They want to bring back Article 370.
abrogation -: Abrogation means the official ending or cancellation of a law. In this case, it refers to the removal of Article 370.
Assembly elections -: Assembly elections are when people vote to choose their representatives in the state or Union Territory government. These elections decide who will make local laws and decisions.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is one of the major political parties in India.
Congress -: Congress is another major political party in India. It is also known as the Indian National Congress.
NC -: NC stands for National Conference, a political party in Jammu and Kashmir.
PDP -: PDP stands for People’s Democratic Party, another political party in Jammu and Kashmir.
