SRINAGAR: In his first rally after quitting the Congress, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday spelt out his roadmap for Jammu and Kashmir -- restoration of statehood, right to land and jobs for locals. He, however, did not demand the restoration of Article 370 or the status of the erstwhile J&K state.
“Restoration of full statehood, right to land and employment to native domiciles will be the top priority of our party. The return and rehabilitation of migrant Kashmiri Pandits will also remain on top of our agenda,” the 73-year-old said at a well-attended rally at Sainik Colony in Jammu.
The Centre scrapped Articles 370 and 35A, which granted special status and special privileges to J&K residents and bifurcated J&K state into two Union Territories --- Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature), on August 5, 2019.
After the nullification of Article 370, Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that statehood to J&K would be restored at an appropriate time. “We don’t want the Assembly in which there will be Lt-Governor. We want the Assembly where we have Governor,” said Azad.
He said nobody should be allowed to buy land and non-locals should not be given jobs in J&K. “We have very less government jobs here. And if you advertise for these jobs on an all-India basis, then J&K youth will lose that trickle of water as well,” he said.
Azad, who was CM of J&K from 2005-2008, said he wanted to congratulate former Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh for safeguarding jobs and land rights of J&K population from 1925-1930. “After the Accord was signed in 1947, these things were also mentioned in the Constitution. For 72 years, The Constitution, Presidents, PMs Parliament accepted it. So who are we going to say that it was wrong,” he said.
At his new party, Azad said he would announce the name after consulting people and leaders from J&K.