The Modi government did not scrap Article 370, which grantsspecial status to Jammu and Kashmir, because of “sensitive situation”in the state, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said.
Senior BJP leader Gadkari, however, maintained that theparty is committed to scrapping this special provision in the Constitution.
In an interview to senior journalist Karan Thapar, he saidKashmir needed more industry and investment to create employment, but Article370 came in the way of getting land.
Asked if abrogation of Article 370 could break the linkbetween Kashmir and other parts of India, Gadkari said the party has beencommitted to its scrapping but did not do so despite full majority in the LokSabha due to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our party has been committed to abrogating Article 370for long. But because of the sensitive situation there (J&K), we aren’tdoing it. We were in power with full majority this time, still we are not goingto implement it. However, as far as the party’s philosophy, policy and approachto it (Article 370) is concerned, we are firm on it,” the minister said,according to the transcript of the interview.
“Because of the sensitive situation, it’s notappropriate to implement that. But as far as the party is concerned, for thepast many days, it is there,” he added.
Article 370 grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir andthe BJP has been for long promising to abrogate it.
Answering another query on Article 370 and annulling ofArticle 35A, which grants special privileges and rights to the “permanentresidents” of the state, Gadkari said: “We need more hotels,restaurants, resorts. We need to increase tourism. But because of Article 370,no one can purchase land there. IT firms can’t establish their companies there.And that’s the reason people are not getting employment.”
When pointed out that land can be acquired from the stategovernment on lease for 100 years, he said that no big hotel companies like theTaj or the Oberoi were in a position to start a hotel in Kashmir.
“They don’t want to expand now. I have held discussionswith them. Because there are a lot of legal problems due to this law, theycan’t construct there, cannot expand. That is the problem,” said Gadkari,who holds the portfolios of Roads and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources.
Asked if the situation in Kashmir had deteriorated sharplyunder the Modi government, Gadkari said, “It is not because of the peopleof Kashmir. It’s because of Pakistan.
“Again, I want to repeat the same thing. After threewars with us, Pakistan has realised that they can’t win against India likethat. So they have resorted to proxy war, by supporting terrorists andterrorist organisations, and they are creating problems. Some of the incidentsin Kashmir are happening because people of Pakistani origin are coming toKashmir and creating problem. It is a proxy war.”
He said there’s a section of people supported by thePakistani government who want to create trouble.
“And when we fight them, they take shelter behind theKashmiri people, making it look like a war between Kashmiri people and Indianforces,” he said.
Gadkari further said that economic progress of Kashmir wason the party’s agenda.
“Actually, in my own department, we have started workworth Rs 40,000 crore in Kashmir. We are building roads, tunnels. Thegovernment has taken many decisions to support Kashmiris,” he said.