Article 370 will have to go: Praveen Togadia on release of Masrat Alam

Jammu: Release of separatist leader Masrat Alam by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed did not go well with Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The organization took a tough stand against the move by organizing a rally in Jammu on Sunday.

On the occasion of golden jubilee of the organization, the VHP President Praveen Togadia slammed J&K government by saying, ““People of India today feel ashamed for the remarks of Mufti Sayeed praising Pakistan and separatist Hurriyat for smooth Assembly polls in J&K.”

Affirming that Article 370 of the Indian constitution will be scrapped, Togadia said that “two Constitutions and two separate laws will not be allowed in this country”.

He said that Article 370 will have to go. He further said that “the Prime Minister can become MP from any part of the country but he cannot contest even municipal corporation elections in Srinagar. We are not going to tolerate it anymore.”

He further asked that when J&K has acceded to India like Hyderabad and Junagarh then why it should be given a special status.

He also talked about granting citizenship rights to refugees from West Pakistan. “Any government opposed to it is not acceptable to us,” he said.

RSS sarsanghchalak Brigadier Suchet Singh, BJP state president Jugal Kishore Sharma and its general secretary (organization) Ashok Koul as well as several party legislators attended the event where Togadia spoke.

Further targeting J&K CM; Togadia said that Mufti should be thankful of the people of the state who had made him the CM. He said that people of India will not tolerate it and that he should work for the state taking it on the path of peace, progress and prosperity else they will catch hold of him by ear and make him sit at home.

Charged up, he said that Mufti should apologize for his remarks.

He added, “Are you going to contest the next Assembly elections in Pakistan?… You are sitting in power at the mercy of Hindus.”

He further demanded of J&K government to re-arrest Masrat Alam.

As published in a report by Indian Express, he said, “Do not fool people that he has been let off by taking legal recourse. How was he in jail earlier? Raising slogan of ‘Go India, go' on Indian soil amounts to treason and the only punishment for such people is hanging.”

He also said that the CM would be committing another mistake by recruiting surrendered terrorists into the police and asserted that the task of removing him from office rests with nationalist people of Jammu in case he continues with such decisions.

Mentioning of job and education prospects for youth of the valley, he insisted the CM to focus on development.