Article 370 has led to terrorism direct investment in J&K: BJP

Says Article 370 has made the state poor and deprived the people of opportunities

Raking up the Article 370 issue, BJP today said the Article has led to Terrorism Direct Investment in Jammu and Kashmir, instead of Foreign Direct Investment, thus driving people out of the state and making it poor.

"Article 370 has made the state poor and deprived the people of opportunities to employment and industrialisation, and instead of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), it has led to Terrorism Direct Investment (TDI)," BJP MP Tarun Vijay told reporters here today.

Welcoming Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's willingness to debate on the Article days after BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi stoked the issue, Vijay said, Omar had indirectly admitted that Shyama Prasad Mookherjee's stand on the Article was correct and it required a debate.

Targetting the Article that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Vijay said no investment came to the state due to the Article, as a result of which the youth of the state were compelled to leave the state in search of livelihood.

This has contributed to large scale frustration among general sections of society and the day is not far when the state will become a land of senior citizens only, he said.

Vijay pointed out that Article 370 was responsible for discouraging corporate hospital chains like Fortis, Max etc. from opening their hospitals in the state including Kashmir valley. Due to this, large number of patients from the state were forced to go to Delhi or Chandigarh for treatment.

He said that separatism and anti-national tendencies have been encouraged by Omar government and asked the Chief Minister what contribution he had made to strengthen the integrity of state and its relations with the rest of India.

Vijay said the BJP extended its full support to the displaced community of Kashmiri Pandits which was direct victim of terrorism.