People’s Conference would support any resolution to restore Article 370 in the Assembly: Sajad Lone

People's Conference Chairman Sajad Lone on Thursday said his party would support any resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly seeking restoration of Article 370. Lone, however, said passing such a resolution was merely a “moral issue” and only Parliament could restore Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

“If there is a resolution in the assembly, we will support it. But if nobody brings it, we will bring a resolution,” Lone told reporters here when asked about his party's plans to restore JK's special status, which was revoked by the central government on August 5, 2019.

The PC chairman released the party manifesto for the parliamentary elections and promised to fight for the restoration of Article 370 and statehood as well as for a solution to the Kashmir issue.

Passing a resolution on Article 370 in Parliament, Lone added, was merely a “moral issue” as JK’s special status could only be restored by Parliament.

On the restoration of Article 35A, Lone said such a provision can be partially restored in the JK Assembly if statehood is restored. “We can pass some parts of it here in the Assembly like Himachal Pradesh has done,” he said.

“We all have to fight together for the restoration of Article 370,” the separatist-turned-mainstream politician said. “There will come a day when we all have to fight as part of a federal solution. The problem is in the name. They have defamed Article 370 so much that any normal, clueless Indian thinks maybe it is a conspiracy against India, which is not the case. It is a federal arrangement, a federal solution, made with many provinces… and all over the world, such arrangements have been in place for 200 years. I believe with the development of Indian democracy, a day will come when we will have a federal solution that is at par with (Article) 370,” he said.

When asked whether his party would form an alliance with another party before the elections, Lone said the PC would fight its own battle.

He said he is likely to contest from two seats: Handwara and Kupwara in north Kashmir. “I have contested from Handwara but am under pressure from the people of Kupwara to contest from there. So, I will most likely contest from two seats,” he added.

On BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav's comments that former militants were campaigning for the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party, Lone said the statement was made to benefit the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

“Ram Madhav is not a child. He knows that 99.9 percent of the population here is Muslim and the BJP is considered an anti-Islamic party. His statements are to help and benefit the NC and PDP. I will pay him Rs 100,000 to make such statements against me every day.

“These statements are intended to maintain the status quo. This is all a lie. They have the government, if there is such a thing then they should act,” he said.

Madhav had also made similar statements in 2014, but after the election the BJP formed a coalition government with the PDP, Lone said.

In its manifesto for the parliamentary elections, the People's Conference pledges to fight for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and for statehood. It says the party will support all efforts within and outside the legislative bodies to restore JK to its pre-2019 constitutional status.

The manifesto also promised to support and facilitate efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue, saying that “the problem is not infinitely insoluble and can be resolved through sincere commitment on all sides.”

The party also promised to work for the repeal of laws like AFSPA, PSA and Enemy Agents Ordinance and to campaign for the release of political prisoners.

She also promised to work for a dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits if they were elected to power.