On Ajit Doval's J&K constitution remark, PDP says it shows his "insensitivity" towards J&K people

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval's remark come at a time the Supreme Court is hearing pleas challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35-A of the Constitution.

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Srinagar: The People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday attacked at National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval for saying that a separate constitution for Jammu and Kashmir is an "abberation" and those who believe in accession of the state to the Union of India should also have faith in the instrument of accession. PDP chief spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir said in a statement "Anyone who believes and endorses the accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India should also have faith in the clause 8 of the Instrument of Accession which provides for internal sovereignty of the state,". Mir further added and said such unwarranted remarks of the NSA when Kashmir valley was witnessing a political turmoil, showed his "insensitivity" towards the people of the state. "The state's internal sovereignty is a matter of right and has a historical significance, although this sovereignty had been reduced to a hollow shell over these years, it continues to be a matter of our identity, symbolic of our collective struggle against autocratic rule," Mir said. He was reacting to Doval's assertion that having a separate constitution for Jammu and Kashmir was probably an "aberration", stressing that sovereignty can never be compromised. His remarks were made when he was speaking at the launch of a book on Vallabhbhai Patel in New Delhi on Tuesday and it comes at a time the Supreme Court is hearing pleas challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35-A of the Constitution The PDP spokesman said it was unfortunate that when a Muslim-dominated state rejected the two-nation theory and went to accede with a Hindu-majority nation with trust, "we are being harassed, pushed to the wall by these assaults on our state's special status". This selective discrimination and assaults on the state's special status will only "alienate" the people further. (with additional input from agencies)