Congress failed to remove Article 370; BJP did it as it was ‘temporary provision’ in constitution: Dr Jintedera Singh

Says democratic set up flourishing in J&K first time in 70 years; PM Modi ensured three-tier Panchayat polls after 7 decades; Article 370 was temporary; Congress failed to remove it, BJP did it; Congress must thank PM Modi on this

Srinagar, July 10  : Senior BJP leader and MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendera Singh Monday said that democratic setup was for the first time established in J&K by Prime Minister Narendera Modi after conducting three-tier Panchayat elections. He, however, said that Congress failed to remove the Article 370 during its tenure but BJP rolled it back as it was a temporary provision.

“Grass root level democracy flourished for the first time in the history of J&K. This was missing for the past 70 years,” he said as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), while talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here. “Democracy didn’t exist in J&K earlier. Today, democracy is at grassroots level and this is for the first time in the past 70 years.”

He was replying to a query whether Assembly elections will be held in J&K. To a query about another question related to Article 370, he said the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawhar Lal is on record in the constituent Assembly that the article was temporary and would be abolished. “But Congress couldn’t remove it. In fact, they should thank the BJP for fulfilling something promised by Congress,” Dr Singh.

On the happenings in Bengal, he said that political hypocrisy has come to the fore. “Those who used to accuse the Centre of killing people are themselves killing civilians. There is a governance failure and that there is state terrorism. In a democratic step, there is no place for state terrorism,” Dr Singh said. He, however, evaded the query on Union Civil Code (UCC)—(KNO)