The governing National Conference (NC) has called for a rollback of all central laws applied in Jammu and Kashmir post-1953. “The rollback will end the practice of [the Centre] imposing a puppet regime in the state,” Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, party general secretary and uncle of chief minister Omar Abdullah, said.
Nazir was referring to Article 356, which empowers the Centre to dismiss a state government and which was first applied in J&K in 1953 when the government of Sheikh Abdullah, grandfather of Omar, was dismissed.
As per the 1952 Delhi Agreement between Sheikh Abdullah and Jawaharlal Nehru, the Centre could not dismiss the state government under Art 356. But in 1953, Nehru disregarded the agreement and imposed central rule in J&K.
In 2000, the J&K assembly adopted a resolution seeking autonomy with only defence, foreign policy, currency and communications to vest with the Centre. The then Vajpayee government rejected the resolution.
The Sahgir Ahmad Committee report submitted to the central government recently suggesting autonomy has revived the autonomy issue. The report also noted that it was for the people of J&K to decide how long to continue Article 370 (which grants the state certain privileges) in its present form and when to abrogate it permanently.
Hailing the report’s suggestion for granting the state autonomy, Nazir said, “Restoring complete autonomy will resolve all issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir. It will also present a solution to the problems the people in the state face.”
But in Jammu, the Bharatiya Janata Party criticised Nazir’s demand.
BJP leader Leela Karan Sharma said Article 370 should be abrogated and Article 356 implemented in the state. “This report is worse than the 1952 accord,” he said.
