Congress's politics or a real need.....
Article 370 is a temporary provision which gives special constitutional status to Jammu and Kashmir.
After Independence, there was a rise in demand in Jammu and Kashmir for a 'popular plebiscite' to decide if the state should remain part of India, join Pakistan or become an independent entity. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then prime minister of India, signed an accord with Sheikh Abdullah who led the plebiscite movement, and ended the demand.
According to the pact, the government of India agreed to grant extensive autonomy and self-government to the state under Article 370.
According to the article, except for a few subjects like defence and foreign affairs, the Centre will have to seek state government concurrence for applying all laws. Regarding laws dealing with property, citizenship and fundamental rights, the state has an entirely different setup as compared to the rest of India.
The Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) founder Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee had opposed the Indian National Congress's decision to grant Kashmir the special status with its own flag and Prime Minister. He termed the arrangement under Article 370 as Balkanisation of India and a three-nation theory of Sheikh Abdullah. BJS along with Hindu Mahasabha and Ram Rajya Parishad launched a massive satyagraha against the provision. Mookerjee went to Kashmir in 1953 and was arrested on May 11 while crossing the border. He died as a political prisoner on June 23, 1953.
The BJP has been demanding repeal of the provision, with Modi recently claiming that both Congress and NC had "misused" Article 370 to deprive the people of the state of their fundamental rights and promote communalism, separatism and politics of regional discrimination.
Courtesy : India today...
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