People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Friday said the current raging controversy relating to abrogation or retention of Articles 35-A and 370 has created an environment of hysteria, particularly in the Kashmir valley.
“Those conversant with the two well founded judgements ofthe Supreme Court relating to Article 370 are fully aware that the apex courthas in effect held Article 370 as a permanent feature of the Constitution.Therefore, in a law-abiding state, there should have been no controversygenerated about the aforesaid provisions of the constitution, more so, becausethe said articles have been in force since over 65 years without creating anyproblems for the Indian state,” Baig said in a statement.
“Pertinently, provisions akin to Article 35-A are alsoavailable to several other states of the Indian union,” he added.
“Regretfully, the different voices emerging from the Centreon the sensitive issue have confounded the issue on ground. This coupled withlarge scale deployment of security forces in the valley of Kashmir and adjacentregions, has created a fast aggravating situation of chaos and uncertaintywhich is harmful for the State as well as the Union,” Baig said.The PDP patron said in his meeting with PrimeMinister Narendra Modi more than a month ago, he had raised this issue. “In themeeting I did not find him hostile to my concerns, rather found him fairlypositive. I hope sanity prevails enabling us to steer through the avoidablestate of chaos and confusion,” he added.