Ram Madhav hails PM on Art 370, says '72 yrs' agony ended in 72 hrs'

Kochi: Hailing the abrogation of Article 370, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said it took only 72 hours for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end 72 years of agony in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It took just 72 hours for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end 72 years of agony due to this draconian Article 370. It took one Modi to end it, one who could see, feel and was willing to take stern decisions to give people their due rights," Madhav said at the 'New India, New Kashmir' event in Kochi on Sunday.

He then stressed upon the fact that Article 370 had been used to deny people their fundamental rights in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Those protesting against the dilution of Article 370 should know it was against the fundamental rights. Kashmir decided they will have their own laws, their own citizens, and the rights given to people will have to be ratified by the state government, this was all the doing of 35-A which was inserted in 1954 through a sleight of hand. It created two sets of people, one set with more rights than the other," Madhav said.

"It meant there is no reservation for Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir even to this date. One state that doesn't have a minority or women's commission is J&K. It also doesn't have a Right to Education," he added.

Slamming Article 370 supporters Madhav said: "It denied people their political rights. It is against development and dignity of people. I want to ask CPM, LDF and UDF parties are you in favour of the rights of people."

He also blamed Article 370 for the lack of prosperity and development in the state by stating, "Today, here in Kerala there might be hundreds of companies which are registered on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) or even in international exchanges like that of New York. But there is just one company registered on the stock exchange from the entire Jammu and Kashmir and that too is the Jammu & Kashmir Bank of the state government."