Our support to PDP only from 'outside', to save Article 35A, 370: Farooq Abdullah

Baramulla (Jammu & Kashmir): National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah said on Sunday that his party's support to the People's Democratic Party (PDP) of Mehbooba Mufti to form the government in the state was only from "outside" and to save the Article 35A and Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

"We didn't want to form the government because we wanted to enjoy power, but we wanted to protect all that which the Governor is doing now. We wanted to defend Article 35A. The government would not have sustained for long. It was to be toppled one day and elections had to be held," said Farooq Abdullah during a media interaction.

"PDP, NC, and Congress have different paths but we came together. Why? You see the condition in which J&K Bank is today. It would never have been the case had our government been there. We also want to save Article 35A and Article 370," he said.

He stressed that 'autonomy' is the right of Jammu and Kashmir and the state will take its autonomy. He reiterated his stance that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) is under Pakistan while rest of Jammu & Kashmir is under India.

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution gives autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir while Article 35A of the Constitution empowers Jammu and Kashmir's legislature to define "permanent residents" of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents.

Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Assembly late on November 21 hours after NC, PDP and Congress allied together and staked a claim to form the government in the state.