Article 370 Nixed As Jammu And Kashmir Was Muslim-Dominated: Congress Leader P Chidambaram

Chidambaram also said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was unstable and that international news agencies were covering the unrest, but not Indian media houses.

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday harshly criticized Bharatiye Janata Party's (BJP) move to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI)

New Delhi: Former union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday harshly criticized Bharatiye Janata Party's (BJP) move to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the saffron party would not have "snatched away" the special status had the state been a Hindu-dominated state. He further alleged that BJP revoked the Article with its "muscle power". Chidambaram also said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was unstable and that international news agencies were covering the unrest, but not Indian media houses. "...They (BJP) claim Kashmir is stable. Is it? Does it mean stable if Indian media houses don't cover the unrest in J&K?" Addressing a public meeting in Chennai, Chidambaram asserted around 10,000 people protested in Soura in J and K is a truth. According to him, the police in the valley took action and shootings happened during the stir. He said that in the 70-year history of the nation, there has never been an example of a state being reduced to a Union Territory and it has always been the converse. "Today, Jammu and Kashmir has been turned into a municipality...There are special provisions for other states under Article 371, why only J and K...This is because of religious fanaticism. If J&K was a Hindu dominated state, BJP would not have done this. They did it only because the region is dominated by Muslims," the former union minister alleged. "BJP is bragging of integrating Kashmir with muscle power," he added. Also Watch | National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's security policy He also took potshots at seven regional parties ruling in seven states, saying they did not cooperate against the BJP's move in the Rajya Sabha out of "fear". Chidambaram expressed his dissatisfaction over non-cooperation of opposition parties. He said, "I know we do not have majority in Lok Sabha, but had the seven parties (AIADMK, YSRCP, TRS, BJD, AAP, TMC, JDU) cooperated, the opposition would have been in majority in RS. This is something disappointing," TMC did a walkout, but what's the difference, he asked. Emphasising that there was never a conflict between former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former home minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Chidambaram said, "Patel was never an RSS functionary. They (BJP) don't have any leader, they are stealing our leader. No matter who steals, history doesn't forget to whom the product belongs." Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "selectively" talking about laws that do not apply for J&K on the day he addressed the nation after abrogation of Article 370, the Congress leader said, "I can list out 90 other laws that apply to J&K." Terming Congress leaders who quit the party as of "18 carat" quality, Chidambaram said only those still staying with the grand old party are of 22 and 24 carat quality. (With inputs from PTI)