Surgical strikes hero Lt Gen Hooda bats for Article 370, 35A, says avoid issues that trigger disturbance

Lt Gen (Retd) DS Hooda, the main architect of the 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads in PoK, has said the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and articles 370 and 35A should not be removed. He said this in a 42-page national security document submitted to Congress president Rahul Gandhi.  He was tasked by the party to come out with a vision document. The former northern Army commander was made the head of a 'task force on national security', set up by Gandhi in February to prepare the vision paper for the country.

“Contentious issues that could provide a trigger for more disturbances should currently be kept on the backburner, while attempts are made to arrive at a political consensus on these subjects,” the report reads.

The Congress manifesto, which was released last week by party president Rahul Gandhi also read, “We also acknowledge the unique history of the state and the unique circumstances under which the State acceded to India that led to the inclusion of Article 370 in the Constitution of India. Nothing will be done or allowed to change the Constitutional position.”

Congress also promises to review the deployment of armed forces, move more troops to the border to stop infiltration completely, reduce the presence of the Army and CAPFs in the Kashmir Valley.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday said that the Congress is helping spread the propaganda of Pakistan across the world.

Earlier, Pakistan had said that it will not accept the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir as the country claimed it would be a violation of the UN resolutions. Addressing media in Islamabad on Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesman Mohammad Faisal said, “The abrogation of Article 370 of Indian constitution is violation of UN resolutions. We will not accept it under any circumstances and the Kashmiris will also not accept it.”

The Article 370 is a special provision with regards to the state of Jammu and Kashmir and restricts the applicability of various provisions of the Constitution by "curtailing" the power of Parliament to make laws on subjects which fall under the Union and Concurrent lists.