Article 370 got backdoor entry into Constitution: Ram Madhav

Tirupati: Article 370 entered into Indian Constitution through `back door' and remained stay put for 70 years due to lack of will power on the part of successive leaders, it is in fact a temporary provision to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, said BJP national general secretary V Ram Madhav.

Delivering speech on ` Historical Correction of A Historical Blunder – Article 370' in SV University here on Saturday, the BJP leader said that though the Article 370 was not in the original `instrument of accession' executed by Maharaja of Kashmir Hari Singh, it was Pandit Nehru who incorporated it later in the Constitution to please Shaik Abdulla.

``Even in the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) held to discuss special status to Kashmir, except two leaders, all others opposed it on the ground that it would lead to similar such demand from other princely states which were merged with Indian Union,'' he said blaming Nehru.

Further, Nehru also bypassed the then existing rules to include Sheik Abdulla and his three party members from Kashmir in the Constitutional Assembly flouting the norm which stipulates nominating only two nominees of Maharaja and two members from the last Assembly though Sheik Abdulla's party did not contest the last election in the state in 1946, he said.

Nehru gave special status only to Kashmir and not to any of the 560 princely states that were joined in the Dominion of India, Ram Madhav said. Hitting hard the opposition parties and media, he said that unable to digest the removal of the Article, they have been trying their best to create a fear phobia among the people particularly in Kashmir.

``Now the Centre is getting overwhelming support received from the people of the country including Kashmir for the removal of article. The opposition leaders have no knowledge of Article 370, '' he said ridiculing the section of media and political parties finding fault with Modi government.

In the same breath he said mere abrogation of the Article is not suffice without the people of Kashmir blending with others. The people of other state should do their best to unite the Kashmiris with them. BJP state president Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, BJYM state president Ramesh Naidu also spoke.