'Were we with Pakistan earlier?': PDP's Fayaz Ahmad Mir on Lt Governor's remarks on J-K

People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Fayaz Ahmad Mir has objected to recent statements made by Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, G C Murmu, in connection with the removal of Article 370.

"We have made sacrifices for over 70 years, our people used to fight on India's behalf, in every fight. Then what does he (Murmu) mean, when he says we were Pakistanis before this (removal of Article 370)," Mir told ANI on Sunday.

On Sunday, Lt Governor Murmu had said that Jammu and Kashmir became fully unified with India, in the last year, after the removal of Article 370.

"There was a governor in Kashmir last year, now there is a Lt Governor, that is one change. Formerly, it was a state but now it has become a union territory, that's the second change. But our Lt Governor is saying that now Jammu and Kashmir is fully with India now, does it mean that to date it was not with India?" Mir questioned.

He asserted that the troubles of the common people of Jammu and Kashmir were not being taken care of and further questioned the continued detention of political leaders in the Valley.

"Since it has become a UT, the people are facing numerous problems, only they can explain it. For all these tall claims of normalcy, why have they not released the political leaders?. Earlier, they used to say they will not hold talks with the separatists, now they are not even holding talks with mainstream leaders," Mir said.

The PDP leader further demanded strengthening of the administrative machinery for the development of the region and said that the development work should be devoid of any politics.

Article 370 which gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated in August last year. The parliament also passed a bill to bifurcate the state into two union territories and the decision came into effect in October last year.