J&K BJP tells Mirwaiz Article 370 is gone for good, statehood on track

The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has responded sharply to chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's appeal for a united political push to restore Article 370, calling such statements provocative and out of step with the region's current reality.

Speaking on Sunday, BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur asserted that the constitutional decision taken by Parliament on August 5, 2019, was historic and has since been upheld by the Supreme Court. He made it clear that no political party, leader, or pressure group can reverse that decision.

"Article 370 is not coming back. Parliament has buried Article 370 forever," Thakur said, adding that calls for its restoration risk dragging Kashmir back into the politics of the past.

Thakur warned that such appeals are designed to provoke people and disrupt the peaceful atmosphere that has emerged in the Valley after years of violence. He stressed that the sacrifices of security forces, civilians, and political workers cannot be undermined by politically motivated statements.

He noted that Kashmir has moved ahead, and its youth are focused on education, employment, entrepreneurship, investment, tourism, and opportunities. "They do not want to return to an era when shutdown calendars dictated their lives and violence dictated the future," he said.

While acknowledging that political parties are free to express their views within the constitutional framework, Thakur said democracy cannot be reduced to repeatedly demanding the reversal of a decision already settled by the highest court of the country.

On the separate issue of statehood, Thakur reiterated the BJP's position that it will be restored at an appropriate time, as stated by the government. He drew a clear distinction between statehood and Article 370, urging those spreading confusion on the matter to stop misleading the people.