Tinkering with Article 35A will be like setting powder keg on fire: Mehbooba Mufti
Warning the Centre against the revocation of Article 35A in the state, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said any tinkering with the constitutional provision would be akin to setting a powder keg on fire.
Addressing a function in Srinagar, to celebrate the Peoples Democratic Party's 20th raising day, Mufti asked her party workers to get ready for a big fight for the protection of Article 35A, which gives special rights and privileges to the state's permanent residents.
"We want to tell the Central government that tinkering with Article 35A will be akin to setting a powder keg on fire," the PDP president said. "If any hand tries to touch Article 35A, not only that hand, but that whole body will be burnt to ashes."
Mufti said they would fight till death any attempt to tinker with the state's special status.
The former chief minister said many attempts would be made to harass the PDP and its leaders. She said New Delhi knew the PDP was the "only party" that "stands like a wall" to protect the state's special status and identity.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, in its election manifesto, had laid bare its thought process on the sensitive issue.
"In the last few years, we have made all necessary efforts to ensure peace in Jammu and Kashmir through decisive actions and a firm policy. We are committed to overcome all obstacles that come in the way of development and provide adequate financial resources to all the regions of the state," the manifesto had stated.
Meanwhile, the Centre has decided to move additional 10,000 paramilitary troops to Jammu and Kashmir, to address the likely fallout of the move on the ground. The decision comes just two days after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval returned from a visit to the Valley.
During his three-day tour, Doval had held detailed discussions with senior officers of the state administration, police, paramilitary forces, army, state and Central intelligence agencies, they said.
The arrival of additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) has started in the Valley over the past three days.
Special flights carrying CAPFs have landed at the Srinagar airport during the last three days, while convoys carrying additional companies of these forces are reaching the Valley through the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
This is reportedly intended to augment an already overwhelming component of these forces in Kashmir. Over 450 companies of CAPFs (40,000 troops) are already deployed for the security of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and other security-related duties in the Valley at present.
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Video: Mehbooba Mufti warns Centre against scrapping of Article 35A
