Restoration of statehood can’t be our main demand: Soz

Srinagar, Aug 27: Former union minister Prof Saifuddin Soz today said restoration of statehood cannot be the demand of J&K political leadership.

In a statement he said, “I feel sad on certain members of the J&K mainstream political class still asking for restoration of the statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. I am sorry this attitude of the mainstream will weaken the cause of an overwhelming majority of the J&K State.”

“The restoration of statehood cannot be our main demand as our statehood cannot be taken away by anybody. Our main demand has to be restoration of our internal autonomy enshrined in the Article 370 of the constitution of India that was unilaterally abrogated by the Modi dispensation at the Centre,” Soz added.

He said the leadership must effectively explain to one and all that from Dogra Maharaja Pratap Singh to “our most popular leader, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah it had been emphasised that it was a resolve of the people of J&K State that the internal autonomy of the J&K State has been an article of faith with the people and it would continue to be so, for all times to come.”

“It is heartening that the J&K Mainstream Political Class committed itself that the first item on the Agenda of the J&K Legislative Assembly would be restoration of the Article 370 of the Constitution of India,” the Congress leader said.