Govt move on Art370 not well thought-out: Former UP CLP leader

Former UP Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur has termed the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its bifurcation into two Union territories an exercise that did not take into account the repercussions of the decision.

"It is an exercise to punish the innocent and spare the guilty unknowingly," Mathur told reporters here.

Clarifying his statement, he said the situation worsened in Jammu and Kashmir because of a proxy war wage by Pakistan and the failure of intelligence agencies of India.

He said Kashmiris were already badly hit by a reduction in the number of tourists and revoking the provisions of Article 370, at this juncture, was like adding salt to the injury.

Citing the example of the once-militancy-hit Punjab, Mathur said the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi succeeded in bringing normalcy in the state using the intelligence agencies.

Mathur said it is unfortunate that instead of going for a "referendum" in J&K, the Union government arbitrarily split the state into two Union territories Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.