Advani reiterates demand for abrogation of Art 370

Recalling the sacrifices made by Sangh ideologue S P Mookerjee for removal of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, BJP Parliamentary Party Chairman L K Advani today demanded through his blog that Article 370 of the Indian Constitution be abrogated.

Recalling the sacrifices made by Sangh ideologue S P Mookerjee for removal of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, BJP Parliamentary Party Chairman L K Advani today demanded through his blog that Article 370 of the Indian Constitution be abrogated.

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Advani, who attended the ceremony to unveil a statue of Mookerjee at Madhopur, Pathankot last week, enumerated the hardships faced by the latter in his fight for abrogation of Article 370.

"After the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1950, Dr Mookerjee resigned from the (Jawaharlal Nehru) government expressing sharp differences with Pandit Nehru over his handling of Kashmir, as also Pakistan, particularly with reference to East Bengal," Advani said in his blog.

Jammu and Kashmir had acceded to India. However, the Constitution of India as framed had incorporated Article 370 into it, as a consequence the state had a separate Constitution, a separate Head of State and a separate flag.

"... Besides, any Indian citizen wanting to visit Jammu and Kashmir was allowed entry only if he had a permit. Dr Mookerjee made defiance of this embargo as the symbol of his challenge to Article 370 and the state's separatist provisions," Advani said.