The people of Jammu and Kashmir have now started to feel the change brought about by the abrogation of Article 370, People’s Democratic Party President Meghbooba Mufti said.
He said that people have started to realize how the right to special status for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 has been a shield for them. He said this while participating in a program organized by the People’s Democratic Party.
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Mehbooba Mufti spoke in this program: After the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections, my father Mufti Mufti Saeed joined hands with the BJP. Then he successfully caged and controlled the beast called BJP. People thought that once the special status for Jammu and Kashmir was removed, it would only affect the People’s Democratic Party and the National Conference. But now bulldozers are demolishing our homes, businesses and animal shelters. People are starting to realize how Article 370 was a shield for Jammu and Kashmir.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the People’s Democratic Party won 3 constituencies. The People’s Democratic Party was expected to win 43 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. However, it managed to win only 28 constituencies. BJP won 25 seats in Jammu. Thus, it took 3 months to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. We are accused of bringing BJP in Jammu and Kashmir. But how can you stop them? They have majority in Parliament.
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Similarly they have got majority in Jammu too. Thus, the People’s Democratic Party had no choice but to join hands with them. It seemed that only doing so could stop them. Mufti Shakib was the Chief Minister for one year. After that, I was the Chief Minister for 2 years. We did our work. If I had listened to the BJP and followed their path, I would have been the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir even today. He said that because I did not do that, they withdrew support from my government.