Modi should have cared to read Article 370

The opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) said in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday that Modi should have cared to read Article 370 carefully before making its removal a part of his party's agenda.

PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said that the removal of Article 370 from the Constitution can only be done with the consent of the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, which does not exist.

"Article 370 is a permanent article of India, and Mr. Modi, or anybody cannot change it without changing the fundamentals of the relations between Jammu and Kashmir and the country. Because, it is through article 370 that article 1 which determines the territories of this country, applies to Jammu and Kashmir. If Mr. Modi would have cared to read the article fully, he would have known," said Akhtar.

"It has been his party's agenda to scrap Article 370 but it can never happen. It is against the Constitution of India," he added.

Modi had said in his 'Lalkar' rally in Jammu on Sunday thatthere should be a thorough debate on the issue of Article 370, which gives special and autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. He also made a reference to India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, saying: "Nehru had said that in the future, the importance of Article 370 will fade out,"

Criticizing the Congress, he said: "The Congress has sown the seeds of a 'separate state but the BJP Government will transform Jammu and Kashmir into one of the super states of the country.