Jaitley revives BJP’s old stand against Article 370

BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley questions the futility of the separate constitutional status for J&K, saying it had only served to fuel separatism and not “deeper integration” as envisaged by Jawaharlal Nehru, reports Shekhar Iyer.

BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley on Monday questioned the futility of the separate constitutional status for Jammu and Kashmir, saying it had only served to fuel separatism and not “deeper integration” as envisaged by Jawaharlal Nehru.

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Addressing a meeting organised by the Delhi Study Group on the Amarnath land row issue, Jaitley said Nehru envisaged Article 370 as an instrument that would initially allow “looser” integration of the state with the rest of India to be followed by a “deeper” merger.

“That has not obviously happened. Instead, it has given way to the demand for dual currency and eventually to seek dual sovereignty too,” he said.

Virtually reviving the BJP’s old plank of opposition to the separate status, Jaitely said: “History will pass a cruel judgement on the Nehruvian approach.”