Congress should thank BJP, Modi for revoking Article 370, Minister Jitendra Singh says

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said Article 370 was a temporary provision and with its abrogation the BJP under leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi did what Congress should have done many years ago.

Singh, while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of function organized by Central Bureau of Communication, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in Srinagar said the Congress party should be thankful to the ruling dispensation for completing their unfinished work of abrogation of Article 370.

The minister's remarks came a day before the Supreme Court hearing of the petitions against the abrogation of Article 370 scheduled on July 11.


"The constitution in which Article 370 was written, the same constitution mentions that this article was temporary and provisional," said Singh. The minister said that Jawaharlal Nehru, a staunch advocate of Article 370 in a reply to assertion of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in the constituent assembly regarding Article 370 stated, "don't worry Article 370 will wear off on its own with time...but Congress couldn't do it because they developed and linked their own political interest with this article."

The union minister said technically BJP did what Congress should have done long time back. "Congress should be thankful to us that we completed their unfinished business what they had mentioned in the constitution," he said.

The minister said Modi has ensured grassroot democracy is implemented in Jammu and Kashmir with the panchayat, District Development Council elections, otherwise future of at least two generations was ruined here and the capabilities of youngsters were caged.

The minister said nine years of BJP government Modi has emerged as the tallest leader in the world and India's stature has also increased at the global level. "Modiji has not only changed the destiny of our country but changed our culture as well. Now we don't ask for votes on the basis of religion, caste or any other discriminatory practice...policies are made for every citizen," he said.

On the recent incidents in West Bengal, Singh said, “those who accused the centre of killing people are themselves killing civilians. It is governance failure and state terrorism. In a democratic step, there is no place for state terrorism,” Dr Singh said.