Article 370 inhibiting J&K's progress: BJP

JAMMU: Slamming the recommendations of Interlocutors on special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, BJP today claimed that the provision had resulted in emergence of separatism and was inhibiting the state's progress.

"Article 370, which was supposed to be temporary article, has been further strengthened and J-K's relation with India further weakened by the report of Kashmir Interlocutors, who batted for preserving special status and reviewing all the central laws applicable to the state," senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, addressing a public meeting here.

"The interlocutors report can only make separatists happy but not any national person. The report is purely an attempt to weak the relationship of J-K with India," Jaitley said.

Maintaining that peace is pre-requisite for the economic development and prosperity of the state, he said there would be no progress unless peace returns and special status (Article 370) is ended.

"Article 370 is a major hurdle in economic development and prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir. If top businessmen come here to invest, youth would get job, there would no unemployment, there would economic growth. It is not possible till there is Article 37O", he said.

Jaitley said that carving out special status for Jammu and Kashmir was a "historical blunder".

"It was due to the wrong ideology of (Jawaharlal) Nehru that Article 370 was incorporated in J-K. It was said that it is temporary provision and will be done away with," he added.