Ganderbal, Sept 23: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday said he was the only one to voice his opposition to the abrogation of Article 370 in Parliament.
“No leader here spoke about the abrogation of Article 370; I raised the issue six times in Parliament, and my speeches were responded to by the Home Minister and the Prime Minister, who said they would grant statehood,” Azad told the media persons while campaigning for the party’s candidate Qaiser Sultan in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
The former union minister said that only Parliament has the authority to restore Article 370, grant statehood and re-establish the Legislative Council, regardless of whether the government in power is led by the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He cited the example of the division of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure, which was also done through Parliament. “The central government is the only body with the power to change the status of states,” he said.
When asked about the Home Minister’s strong stance on Kashmir, Azad responded, “I am against any hard stance. Political parties should have full freedom to express their views. However, whatever is written in the Constitution will ultimately decide what the state and the Centre can do.”
Reflecting on political competition, the former J&K chief minister compared political parties to classmates, saying that camaraderie might exist, but competition is inevitable. “Every political party and leader is a competitor in this race,” he said.
Recounting the formation of the DPAP, he said, “When I established this party and held its inaugural meeting, I proudly stated that I had fought courageously for Article 370 and the restoration of statehood. In fact, many in Parliament were unaware of the historical context of Article 35A, which dates back to the pre-independence era, until I brought it to their attention. This fight is at the core of my political journey.”
