Farooq Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent comments on Article 370, stating that it had only perpetuated dynastic rule in the region. He questioned how Jammu and Kashmir could have progressed if Article 370 was truly detrimental.
During his first visit to Srinagar following the revocation of Article 370, PM Modi referred to the region as a “new Jammu and Kashmir” that emerged after the special status was removed. He accused the Congress and its allies of misleading the public for political gain over the years in the name of Article 370. Modi emphasized that now there are equal rights and opportunities for all in the region, contrary to the past.
Shortly after, Farooq Abdullah retaliated.
“If Article 370 was really that detrimental, I urge the Prime Minister to revisit the speech delivered in the Rajya Sabha by the then Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, where he drew a comparison between two states. He compared Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir in terms of development during the existence of Article 370,” Farooq Abdullah stated.
“Now, if Article 370 and nepotism are to blame, then how did we achieve that progress? It is the people’s governance, I lost the election as a chief minister. So, where is the dynastic rule?” Mr. Abdullah questioned. “This dynastic rule is a common theme I also heard in parliament. In every speech the PM delivers, he consistently targets it.”
The former Chief Minister also highlighted that the abrogation of Article 370 has led to an increase in the cost of education.
Education from primary schools to universities used to be free, he mentioned. “Nowadays, education is only free up to the 14th class. In universities, you have to pay. An impartial commission should be established to assess the situation before and after the revocation of Article 370,” Mr. Abdullah emphasized.
